Vancouver's "Street Food Cart" pilot project

[Culture_Vulture]

this would be a good experience for all of those that have said "eww" in this thread,
I don't see how Vancouver can pride itself in being one of the most multicultural cities in the world without having any of these foods present outside of a pathetic excuse for a nightmarket.

[donjalapeno]

This is the real ass shit!....... persian kabobs, only if they had this with street vendors. Just with hot bread, herbs and a grilled tomato...omg

[Obsideon]

When I was in Asia I was advised that the best food would be the street vendor food and DAMN were they right!... all the street carts in Hong Kong and China were DELICIOUS and cheap!... and believe it or not I never got the runs

[Ch28]

Originally Posted by Obsideon

When I was in Asia I was advised that the best food would be the street vendor food and DAMN were they right!... all the street carts in Hong Kong and China were DELICIOUS and cheap!... and believe it or not I never got the runs

We're asian. It's built into our genes

[Phil@rise]

Originally Posted by StealthFighter

i'm all for this but...




an iranian guy wants to open a korean taco stand? what the...

i rather him open up a kebab stand!!!!

No different then all the Korean and Chinese operated sushi restaurants. Or even Taco Luis in Lansdown mall.
Its all part of multiculturalism and what food the chef/owner is passionate for or feels they can profit from.

[tofu1413]

YouTube

hmm... maybe i should start this.

[ak6]

I would love to see a Kogi stand open here in Vancouver. That'd be awesome.

[turb0fr3ak]

me hungry now

[Milhouse]

We need more CHEAP food stands here.

[turb0fr3ak]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

We need more CHEAP food stands here.

x2

but it will not happen

[Sgt_Koopa]

Kabobs/Kebabs for sure!

[Tapioca]

I've been following the story with some degree of interest and since the lottery draw for these food carts is happening tomorrow, I thought I would post a news snippet from the Metro:

City sees food stall frenzy

JEFF HODSON
METRO VANCOUVER
July 08, 2010 5:16 a.m.

A lottery tomorrow morning will decide which of the more than 815 proposals will win one of 17 new food stall sites in Vancouver, a councillor said yesterday.

“There is a huge pent up desire for more exciting food on the street,” said Heather Deal.

City and health authority staff waded through the cornucopia of applications yesterday to ensure they complied with city and health requirements.

The city, she added, had only expected about 50 applications. One alternate will be drawn for each spot in case winning proposals are unable to operate before the end of July.

There has been some concern raised about competition from carts by restaurant owners and business improvement associations, Deal said.

Two things:
- 815 applications is a lot, considering the potential start-up costs and permit requirements
- (not included on the web version, but in today's print edition) Applications submitted by restaurant-owners. The point of this program is to offer the public cheaper and convenient food - not necessarily food that is "restaurant grade". I don't think I'm alone in not wanting gourmet food on the street.

There's been a lot of press about the "Roaming Dragon" street food cart that's appeared at the Night Market and on Granville St. I haven't tried the food, or even looked at the menu, but based on reading various articles, my impression is that it's overpriced "Asian-style" food which caters to non-Asian yuppies who don't know any better. Having experienced the food carts in Portland myself recently (and yes, Portland's street food scene is worthy of the hype), I sure hope that the "Roaming Dragon" type of cart does not win too many spots.

[MR_BIGGS]

Damn, 800 plus applicants for 17 spots.

Tapioca, so there is a huge startup cost? I can imagine the permit may be expensive, is this a annual fee they have to pay?

So many applications, I wonder what kind of profits these vendors make?
In an area with decent foot traffic, I can imagine it being not bad. I have no clue though.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by MR_BIGGS

Damn, 800 plus applicants for 17 spots.

Tapioca, so there is a huge startup cost? I can imagine the permit may be expensive, is this a annual fee they have to pay?

So many applications, I wonder what kind of profits these vendors make?
In an area with decent foot traffic, I can imagine it being not bad. I have no clue though.

The vending permit is about $1000 for a regular cart which is for the duration of the pilot project (until next spring, I believe). However, if you are interested in a curbside location (there are only 3 at this time), the rates start at $2400 per metre.

In addition to liability insurance, you need to comply with Coastal Health requirements. For example, you need a "base of operations" to store your food. Also, your food cart must have two sinks and refrigeration - all of which are difficult considering the maximum width of 2.6 metres for many of the locations. After reading the requirements, I can see why restaurant-owners have applied as they already have a base of operations.

[jackmeister]

^^two sinks?

holy shit thats pretty hard for something even like a japadog stand?

they should make street food at the risk of consumers... if its hot, its good to go

[twitchyzero]

those are some pretty strict qualifications...i'm surprised there are still 800+ applicants

[Ch28]

Wouldn't surprise me if 600 of those applications are for some variation of a japadog stand.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by jackmeister

^^two sinks?

holy shit thats pretty hard for something even like a japadog stand?

they should make street food at the risk of consumers... if its hot, its good to go

You would think that the requirement for liability insurance of $2 million should cover the city if anything bad were to happen, but I can also see the other side; can imagine the negative press courtesy of bloggers and the media if someone were to report getting food poisoning from poorly cooked/stored food?

Wouldn't surprise me if 600 of those applications are for some variation of a japadog stand.

The city has explicitly stated that it is looking for food options other than hotdogs. If anyone was silly enough to submit a Japadog-like application, I hope the bureaucrats were wise enough to toss these applications through the paper shredder.

I think we all have to keep in mind that this is a pilot project. Despite the strict requirements, it still looks like we're miles ahead of where Toronto is with their "A La Cart" program which required vendors to pony up $30K for a cart from the city - at least with our program, vendors have some degree of flexibility when it comes to purchasing/renting a cart. My hopes are that the cost of the food is decent (<$8 for a meal), there is decent variety, and that most of the vendors make a profit so that the program can be expanded next year. Eventually, the city should install permanent water and power facilities on high-traffic corners so that start-up costs will be lower for vendors.

[q0192837465]

Great. But since it's a lottery, I just hope we get different types of food. It'll be stupid if somehow 5/8 turn out to the same type of food.

[Tapioca]

The local media hasn't picked up on the results of the lottery, but here are the winners straight from the City of Vancouver's website:

East Side of 200 Howe St – 100 metres North of W Cordova St
- Chinese Dim Sum

South Side of 400 W Georgia St – 12 metres East of Richards St
– Korean food with meat and vegetarian options

East Side of 700 Homer St – 20 metres South of W Georgia St
- chicken salad with lettuce, tomato. Fruit cup with melon, kiwi and mixed fruit.

North Side of 700 W Cordova St – 14 metres East of Howe St
– Burritos, whole wheat, rice, beans, sauces, fillings

East Side of 700 Hornby St – 22 metres South of W Georgia St
– Southern BBQ, Rice, Veggies

South Side of 700 W Georgia St – 20 metres West of Granville St
– Traditional Chinese and Japanese Cuisine

South Side of 900 W Hastings St – 24 metres East of Burrard St
– Skewers of beef and pork

West Side of 1100 Burrard St – 28 metres South of Helmcken St
- Greek Donair

West Side of 1100 Burrard St – 25 metres North of Davie St
- Modern Satay Barbeque

South Side of 2000 Beach Av – 30 metres West of Chilco St
– Fresh squeezed Lemonade

East Side of 600 Granville St – 50 metres North of W Georgia St
– Fresh Bakery

West Side of 600 Granville St – 95 metres North of W Georgia St
– Healthy meals & snacks, roll ups, sandwiches

East Side of 6400 Cambie St – 20 metres North of W 49th Ave
– speciality noodles

East Side of 1300 Main St – 12 metres North of Terminal Ave
- Falafel

West Side of 1100 Station St, or West Side of 400 Burrard St
- Authentic Italian stone ground pizza

West Side of 1200-1300 Arbutus St, or North Side of 1000 W Georgia St
- Fresh & frozen fruits, chocolate dipped fruits

West Side of 1400 NW Marine Dr, or East Side of 800 Hornby St
- Central European foods from Poland, Russia, using local organic products, borscht, schnitzel, kosher

There are alternates for each site, so if the winners can't set up shop by the end of the month, the alternates get the permits instead.

[Ch28]

That's a pretty good mix of food.

Looking forward to trying out the central euro food stand

[PavelGTR]

Great variety. I'm definitely checking some of these out.

[q0192837465]

East Side of 6400 Cambie St – 20 metres North of W 49th Ave
– speciality noodles

hmmmmm, that sounds interesting

[Supa.Azn]

cool, i installed the computer systems for the roaming dragon guys, and they are the ones that started this thing. looks like its going to be a busy summer for me.!

[Meowjin]

It'll probably fail because it won't be cheap
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