Growing up in Guatemala, Ruth Monrroy often spent time at her mother’s restaurant watching in awe of how she connected with customers.

“I knew I wanted to have my own business,” Mrs. Monrroy said on a recent weekday afternoon on Hollywood Boulevard, where her childhood wish has come true.

Mrs. Monrroy, 44, parks her metal cart in front of the TCL Chinese Theater six days a week, selling items including fruit salad, hot dogs and energy drinks.

“Mango, water, soda, Gatorade, hot dog!” she calls out to the crowds traipsing over Hollywood Walk of Fame stars dedicated to Bruce Willis and Billy Crystal.

Street vending is a quintessential California job — from the pickup trucks selling cartons of strawberries next to fields near Fresno to the pop-up stands offering carne asada tacos along Oakland thoroughfares. In Los Angeles alone, an estimated 10,000 street vendors sell food.

Until recently, vendors along Hollywood Boulevard were operating outside the law. And while that legal cloud has lifted, eking out a living remains a challenge. Cost-conscious tourists sometimes scoff at the prices, even if sellers struggle to break even. And while longtime street vendors respect and recognize the turf of other regulars, there are more sellers working in the area, and competition has increased.