Photos: Vancouver's 12 new food carts
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On Monday the city put four of the new carts on display at City Hall, giving staff a chance to sample British, Indian, Italian and Salvadoran foods.
This year’s crop of new licences — which brings the total of approved stationary food carts in the city to 103 — include everything from French stews to Chinese, Thai and Japanese meals to seafood and even perogies. A single burger stand, The Burger Bus, made it through the judging process.
But not a single new wannabe hotdog stand was approved, or even made it into the short-list of 25 applicants. With nearly half of the city’s food carts already hotdog stands, the city has for the last two years made it clear it wanted to see more wholesome, nutritious food sold on its streets.
Mayor Gregor Robertson said the kind of culinary ingenuity approved Monday is helping Vancouver to become a destination for food-loving people with sophisticated tastes.
“We are really happy to see the international offerings. They are really reflective of the cultural diversity of our city that deserves to have great, nutritious food on our streets,” Robertson said.
And later this year, the park board also expects to cash in on the city’s new-found food cart industry with three pilots in Stanley Park, Vanier Park and at the Bloedel Conservatory. Last week the park board approved a one-year trial at the three locations, but has yet to select vendors.
Commissioner Trevor Loke said applicants in the recent city process will be eligible to apply for the new locations, so long as they’ve met with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority approval.
But unlike the city street cart program, which cost vendors a $1,000 license fee and a permit for foregone parking at metered spots they use, the park board wants real cash out of their new carts. They’re selling the Stanley Park spot for $15,000, the Bloedel Conservatory location for $10,000 and Vanier Park for $5,000.
“Vancouver Parks are getting a culinary makeover,” he said. The three pilot locations will be operational by June and the fees reflect the intense competition the park board expects, Loke said.
Robertson said the city expects to approve another 30 street food cart licenses over the next two years, after which it will re-examine the program. Each vendor has to meet health authority and city licensing regulations. So far only one of the foot carts approved since the city began moving to healthier food options in 2010 has failed.
The 12 vendors announced Monday had to go through a rigorous taste-testing program. The judges’ combined totals determined the location of each cart. Seven will be parked in metered parking spots; the rest are allowed to park on the sidewalk. Soho Road Naan Kebab, with its British Indian food, was the top pick. It will set up on Smithe Street near B.C. Supreme Court. Ze Bite, specializing in French stews and sandwiches, was the second pick and will set up at Cordova and Burrard streets. Pig on the Street was third in choice.
For Cothey and Seymour, Pig on the Street represents a new personal freedom in which they trade classrooms and other peoples’ kitchens for their own mobile business. Seymour has worked as a chef for 15 years. Cothey is giving up his English-as-a-second-language teaching position to help his wife. For the last two months they’ve been testing their food at the Vancouver and Coquitlam farmers’ markets. Their minibus with its pop-up tent is smaller than most of the big vans and trailers now standard as foot carts.
Cothey has to be careful not to crowd his wife as she’s working with the frying bacon, and every time he hands food to waiting customers he has to pop his head out the window. But he said this is their dream come true.
“To be your own boss, that’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” Cothey said.
The most popular item on their menu? “The Porker”, wrapped in a pork fat-infused flatbread.
“That’s also got pork sausage, caramelized onion and sage stuffing in it, along with double-smoked bacon and goat Gouda and caramelized onion mayo,” he said. For traditionalists, they have a “Pig LT” sandwich.
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Vancouver's 12 new food carts 'reflective of city's cultural diversity' 
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