Walk through one of the major subway stations in New York and you’ll eventually come across a vendor selling churros. The fried dough pastry is usually wrapped in plastic and sold out of a shopping cart for $2.
On numerous occasions, subway churros have saved commuters from their after-work hunger pangs. To keep up with demand, vendors usually purchase the pastries in bulk from a factory and then sell them for a profit ranging anywhere between $80 and $120 per day.
Many people, however, put themselves at risk by doing so. Selling food without a license is illegal in New York, and those arrested are either held overnight or given a fine of up to $1,000. Regardless, many vendors continue to sell even after multiple arrests. They simply move from one station to another in an attempt to avoid the police.
For some people, selling churros is the only way to make enough money to support their families.
