how accessible a street vendor permit is, by how much it costs the person running the business, indicates how little a city wants them doing business.... it varies drastically by city

It's $541 in Los Angeles

https://www.isdus.org/post/how-to-obtain-a-los-angeles-sidewalk-and-park-vending-permit

It was reduced to $291 during covid.  https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/city-of-la-looks-to-reduce-street-vendor-permit-fees/

Most street vendors make about 11k a year, and are recent immigrants, and are pushed out of prime locations by big businesses that give kickbacks (or bribes) to the permit people at City Hall for favorable terms, like, best locations, revoking single cart owner operators, etc 

https://gothamist.com/news/the-food-fight-heats-up-at-manhattans-hudson-yards

Chicago charges 58 dollars, and San Diego only 38 dollars, according to https://www.theeastsiderla.com/news/government_and_politics/l-a-to-look-at-reducing-street-vendor-fees/article_0903285c-1637-11ee-82c0-0fa2771566d9.html

This was brought before LA City Council, who voted 12-0 to look into lowering their permit fee for street vendors