\u201cTwenty days is a long time for licensed hot dog vendors to be out of it,\u201d Mayor Lisa Gillmor said at the May 26 City Council meeting.\u00a0\u201cThis is supposed to be a plus for everyone, not a negative, where you actually lose your business because of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite those concerns, the council unanimously approved the special event zone. The restrictions will remain in effect from June 12 through July 2 and cover key corridors surrounding Levi\u2019s Stadium, including portions of Great America Parkway and Tasman Drive.<\/p>\n
The restrictions sparked discussion among councilmembers over whether the zone is primarily a public safety measure or a way to limit commercial activity during one of the world\u2019s largest sporting events.<\/p>\n
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Jes\u00fas Luna, manager of Pizza My Heart in Santa Clara, said street vendors don\u2019t really impact business during big events. He expects it to be busy during the World Cup games starting June 12. Photo by Maryanne Casas-Perez.<\/p>\n
District 1 Councilmember Albert Gonzalez said the restrictions are intended to protect established businesses near Levi\u2019s Stadium from unlicensed vendors seeking to capitalize on World Cup<\/a> crowds.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way I look at it is you\u2019re helping our existing businesses,\u201d Gonzalez told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cYou don\u2019t have anybody else coming in with food trucks and taking some of your business away.\u201d<\/p>\n Gonzalez said existing businesses within the zone can continue operating as normal and may still use signs and promotions that comply with city regulations. He added the event zone is smaller than the one established for Super Bowl 60\u00a0after city officials determined some areas saw little impact from outside commercial activity.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Iguanas Mexican Food in Santa Clara, who requested anonymity for privacy reasons, said unlicensed vendors can affect restaurants near Levi\u2019s Stadium, particularly during major events when businesses are competing for customers. He said businesses are often hesitant to publicly criticize vendors because they don\u2019t want to appear unsupportive, but said the competition can affect sales during large events at Levi\u2019s Stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that a street vendor comes in this area does affect a lot because all the profits go to another food business,\u201d the spokesperson told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight, adding that restaurants near the stadium can pay between $18,000 and $22,000 in monthly rent.<\/p>\n Not all businesses inside the special event zone expect the restrictions to have a significant impact on profits.<\/p>\n Michelle Dinh, assistant manager at HiroNori Craft Ramen near Levi\u2019s Stadium, said traffic and limited parking\u00a0are more noticeable than vendor activity.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t really seen any vendors,\u201d Dinh told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cI would say business is not too affected. If anything, it\u2019s just a lot of traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n City officials said the special event zone has been\u00a0shaped by lessons learned during Super Bowl 60,<\/a> when enforcement teams redirected three food vendors and 14 merchandise vendors operating near the stadium.<\/p>\n Officials are also preparing for fan marches, a tradition common at international soccer events where groups of supporters gather and walk together to stadiums while chanting and singing. City staff said organizers have discussed the possibility of fan groups traveling from hotels and gathering locations throughout the region to Levi\u2019s Stadium on match days.<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/interactive-321838904008.png\")
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