The Hidden Cost Behind LA’s Fruit Carts: Immigrant Vendors, High-Risk Financing, and the Role of Kareem Carts
In cities like Los Angeles, mobile fruit carts have become a familiar and beloved part of the urban landscape. Ubiquitous in neighborhoods such as Boyle Heights, South LA, and MacArthur Park, these carts, often stocked with freshly cut mango, pineapple, cucumber, and watermelon, are a symbol of entrepreneurial spirit, cultural identity, and community accessibility. Most of these carts originate from Kareem Carts Commissary & Manufacturing Co. , a long-standing LA-based manufacturer that has become a central player in the mobile food vending economy. While the company provides legitimate, well-built equipment, concerns are emerging over the financial mechanisms used by many street vendors to acquire these carts, mechanisms that disproportionately impact low-income, immigrant entrepreneurs. Financing “Support” Without Transparency Kareem Carts does not provide in-house financing. Instead, it refers customers to third-party lenders , including entities like Accion Opp...