Mecklenburg County Public Health officials say there has been an uptick in complaints of food vendors operating without a permit.
County officials say they’ve received 184 complaints since last year regarding illegal food vendors selling food in uptown and South End between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. The county permits more than 4,000 food operators.
Officials say unlicensed vendors are often seen selling food under tents in parking lots, at gas stations and along roadsides. Public Health Director Raynard Washington explained how residents can check a restaurant’s inspection status
"We have a website where every restaurant inspection is posted," Washington said. "We also have now a service that's in Mecklenburg County where if you look up a restaurant on Yelp, if they have an inspection report, it should be loaded in the Yelp automatically, so you can just look on Yelp for the restaurant name and you should have an option there to view their latest inspection score."
There's an increase in unpermitted food vendors serving between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. in Uptown and South End. Look for a health inspection sign when eating out — it means they’re approved by Public Health.
— Mecklenburg County (@MeckCounty) July 23, 2025
TIP: you can also check the health score for regulated businesses on Yelp. pic.twitter.com/Ruy6dX97XY
Washington also said the county is first taking a voluntary approach and asking food vendors, through inspectors, to stop selling. If requests are ignored or multiple complaints are received, the county will move to issue citations and, if necessary, seek law enforcement intervention.
