Vancouver Street Food, Year One

Street Food Vancouver: Year One
A Vendor Survey
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Key Findings
3. Context: Moving beyond hotdogs
3. Purpose
4. Policy Background
5. Survey Design
6. Expanded Food Options on City Streets: Recent Changes
6. Study Methods
7. Limitations
9. Vendor Information and Demographics
11. Application Process, Start-Up and Financing
12. Business Planning
13. Start-Up and Financing
14. Operations
16. Food Safety Requirements
16. Food Service, Advertising & Sales, Customer & Vendor Relations
17. Food Service
19. Sales and Pricing
20. Advertising
21. Vendor Relations
22. Vending Unit, Site and Commissary Information
23. Vendor Feedback and Suggestions
24. Conclusion
25. Notes on the Author
26. References
27. Appendix
Executive Summary
This study provides insight into the vendors of Vancouver’s Street Food
Pilot Program. Based on results from a 77 question survey, this report
investigates the current state of the street food vending program from a
vendor informed perspective and provides recommendations based on
their responses.
The Pilot Program initiated in the summer of 2010 looks to expand

street food options for Vancouver with 17 new vending locations. With
its first phase of recommendations pending and second call for vendor photo courtesy of “whatsforlunchbc.com,”
applications, this study is timely and significant as it contributes to Aug. 7, 2010
information that can help guide decisions for the Street Food Program
in its post-pilot phase. It is essential that the City make informed and
well-founded recommendations to firmly establish and encourage the
progression of a beneficial and vibrant program for vendors and residents
of Vancouver.
The ability for vendors to operate their businesses with continued success
is pivotal to the outcome of the program. The survey provides direct vendor
feedback from 14 of 17 vendors with the intention of encouraging positive
program outcomes. Vendor responses highlight what is working, as well as
identify areas of focus and challenges that need further attention.
Released January 20th, 2011, the recent City Administrative Report
“Expanded Food Options on City Streets” details recommendations and Vancouver Street Food
administrative enhancements for the street food program. Many findings in Year One
this paper are echoed in the new policy additions put forward in the City’s
report.
1
Key Findings
On the basis of vendors’ responses to the survey and further research
findings, the following recommendations should be considered to
enhance the success of the Vancouver’s Street Food Program:
Program Enhancements Program Regulations Program Evaluation

•• Provide an information session for •• Format a vendor pre-selection •• Monitor whether the 17 pilot
potential vendors, and establish process based on the merits and program vendors are able to
a primary coordinator dedicated quality of vendors’ applications achieve measures of financial
to answering vendor inquiries and (The City has recently identified a sustainability
providing resources committee to pre-screen applications •• Encourage vendors to track
based on readiness, experience,
•• Partner with organizations, their customer numbers to help
qualifications, menu diversity and nu-
financial institutions and small tritional content, use of local/organic/ indicate the demand for street
business incubators that can fair trade food, proposed business food
provide funding opportunities for plan and environmental factors)
•• Help to establish a vendor
first time vendors association with an online
•• Ensure the vending unit ‘type’ is
•• Work with interested vendors to appropriately ‘matched’ to the component to provide
provide small business training, allocated location resources and capacity for
and in conjunction gain their input ongoing vendor input
•• Determine whether vendors
to create a standardized business •• Hold a vendor feedback
are permitted to open multiple
plan format that is included in the session, where vendors have
businesses or if there is a limit to
program application the chance to ask questions,
the number of expansions
•• Examine how street vending voice concerns and make
•• Consider whether to mandate
could function in consultation suggestions as part of ongoing
a minimum operational period
with Vancouver organizations program improvements
for vending locations; establish
that are working to improve
enforcement guidelines
the distribution of healthy food,
particularly to low income com- •• Explore options of how to
munities; consider how strategies increase times and locations that
for mobile vending could work to vendors can sell their products;
achieve this goal such as a rotating vendor
schedule for late-evening and
•• Strategically explore options and
event locations
best-examples from other cities
that help grow overall support for •• Clarify the process (in conjunc-
vendors and increase sales over tion with Vancouver Coastal
the off-season period; options Health) for vendors to make
could include street food specific changes to original menus
events, as well as encouraging submitted at application
and facilitating vendor participa- •• Define VCH food safety
tion in events across Vancouver, guidelines with respect to
and the sale of fresh produce types of vending units, specifi-
from carts cally carts, vehicles and towed
•• Consider food packaging and trailers; correlate jurisdictional
composting options as integral to regulations between VCH and
achieving sustainability goals the Fraser Health Authority
•• Extend the preparation period Vancouver Street Food
between granting locations and Year One
the date required for businesses
to be in operation 2
Context: Moving beyond hotdogs
Hotdogs and packaged food have long been the only vended food
permitted in the streets of Vancouver, British Columbia. Many have ques-
tioned the lack of options, wondering at regulations that have prevented
the selling of alternate food choices in a city reputed for its abundance
of culinary diversity and quality. Following in the footsteps of many North
American cities, recent changes in City policy have brought new menus to
the streetscapes of Vancouver.
With backing from Vancouver City Council, changes in policy resulted in the
creation of a Street Food Pilot Program incorporating the specific goals of
promoting local food in conjunction with the local economy. Designed to fa-
cilitate the vending of alternate food options, the program was launched in
July of 2010, bringing new additions to the quality and breadth of food sold
by street vendors in Vancouver’s downtown core. Since the City’s request
for vendor applications on June 21st, 2010, Vancouver has licensed 17
new vendors to sell expanded-food options in the downtown core. This
research took place during the fall of 2010 in response to the need for
anonymous vendor feedback and measurable information on the program.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assess vendors’ experiences of the Pilot
Food Vending Program to date. It is a preliminary inquiry undertaken with
the intent to identify program areas that could benefit from further research
or amendment.
Media coverage and public response of new food vending additions
to the streetscape has been substantial, with a wide-ranging scope of
reviews and commentary. However, there has been no official platform for
vendors to provide direct, anonymous and comprehensive feedback on the
program to inform the City. Aside from learning via examples of other North
American cities, Vancouver has little empirical knowledge as to the current
state of their pilot program and issues that may have arisen concurrently for
vendors.
The program was launched as a pilot to consider how Vancouver would
respond to the presence of new street food choices and if vendors were
able to create viable businesses selling their food on the streets. By revising
regulations and identifying new locations to enable the vending of more
food options, the City of Vancouver facilitated an opportunity to observe,
learn from and refine a program that is still undergoing development. Vancouver Street Food
This report acknowledges the policy background and recommendations Year One
3
found in the City Administrative Report, and contributes additional, detailed
information to enrich the ongoing program evaluation. This study also
acknowledges research on economic drivers and barriers to entry for the
program included in the paper ‘Street Food Vending in Vancouver’ by April
Lemoine (2010).
As the primary research, survey questions seek to address how Vancou-
ver’s street food vendors are managing with the barriers to launching suc-
cessful businesses, including:
•• Access to capital
•• Appropriate storage for vending unit
•• Finding or establishing a commissary
•• Meeting health code requirements
•• Ability to provide a quality product with a sufficient customer
base and profit
Policy Background
As further development of the guiding sustainability principles adopted by
the City of Vancouver in 2002, on July 8, 2003 Council approved a motion
supporting the development of a just and sustainable food system for the
City of Vancouver. The intent of this motion was to foster equitable food
production, distribution and consumption; education and access to nutri-
tional foods; community development and environmental health. Further
actions taken by the City to incorporate the multitude of issues surround-
ing food as a policy focus include establishing the Food Policy Council and
affirming a commitment in 2007 to a Vancouver specific Food Charter.
Reflecting the City’s ongoing and growing focus on Food Policy for
Vancouver, on March 11, 2008 a motion was put forward by Councilor
Heather Deal requesting to ‘Increase Healthy Food Options in Vancouver’.
Details of the motion requested staff to work in conjunction with the
Vancouver Food Policy Council to provide a report, in relation to the Food
Action Plan of 2003, on how to proceed specifically with Street Food
Vending in Vancouver by:
•• Expanding the variety of food, with a focus on nutrition and

culturally diverse representation
•• Expanding the geographical area of operation
•• Increasing access of affordable, healthy food in low-income
communities
On March 13, 2008 Council carried the motion unanimously. On December
16, 2008, a subsequent motion made by Councilor Reimer was moved
and carried, requesting that staff be directed to report back to council by
January 20, 2009 with recommendations on how to expedite the progress Vancouver Street Food
of previous motions related to food carts. Year One
4
With the creation of the Street Food Pilot Program, vendors were asked to Expanded Food Options
submit their applications in person for a lottery draw between the dates of
June 21st to 30th, 2010. Newly identified city vending locations would be
on City Streets: Recent
allocated by a lottery draw held on the 9th of July, with July 31st set as the Recommendations Passed by
original date for vendors to begin operations. Council
As well as suggesting several
In the information provided for the original application to the pilot program,
enhancement possibilities,
the City specified that it seeks diverse, healthy and local food offerings from
the latest program revisions
vendors, expressly including:
in “Expanded Food Options
on City Streets” include
•• Food other than pre-packaged, non-perishable foods such as
the following specific
soft drinks, chips, candy bars, and granola snacks.
recommendations:
•• Food other than hot dogs, regular and specialty coffees,
popcorn, pretzels, pre-packaged ice cream, yoghurt, and 1. Incorporate the 17 street food
nuts. pilot vendors into the regular
street food vending program
•• Whole fruits and whole vegetables.
2. Increase the number of food
Survey Design vendors on City streets by
permitting an additional 60
To determine vendors’ opinions and experiences of the Pilot Program, the locations (30 downtown and
survey was implemented to obtain measurable, quantitative and qualitative 30 outside downtown) over
results from the vendors. Vendors were invited to participate in the survey
an approximate period of 4
and informed that their answers could help to assess the current program
years, subject to revision if
and inform City recommendations for the continuation of the Street Food
required
Program.
3. All new food vending and
The total population for the study sample comprises the 17 new Vancouver mobile food vending permits
city street food vendors. Statistics included in the report reflect only the
be contingent upon meeting
number of vendors that responded to the survey, and not the entire popula-
minimum nutritional standards
tion. Of the 17 contacted, 14 of the vendors chose to provide responses,
as defined by Provincial
resulting in an 82 % response rate.
Health professionals
Survey questions were grouped into the following categories: 4. Allow a greater variety of
1. Vendor Information and Demographics food to be sold from mobile
vending units
2. Application Process, Start-Up and Financing
5. Report back on street food
3. Food Service, Advertising and Sales, Customer and Vendor vending options on private
Relations property in 2012
4. Vending Unit, Site and Commissary
5. Feedback and Suggestions
There were 77 questions in the survey, however a number of questions
were only available through a sequence of tiered responses.
Available online and in a paper-based format, the open survey response

period was extended from the initial dates of November 25th to December Vancouver Street Food
5th 2010 until December 24th to allow for a greater number of replies. Year One
5
Study Methods
Social Planning and Policy contacted participants for the survey via an
initial letter of introduction stating that participation in the survey was entirely
voluntary. Vendors were presented with two options of how to complete
the survey; if they did not wish to complete the survey via the option of an
available online response method, they could submit a paper version.
Participants were informed that information gathered photo credits to ‘Vancouver Sun Blogs’, Oct. 6, 2010.
would be summarized in a final report made available
to vendors, and that results could contribute to
a report on the Pilot Program submitted to City
Council for review. While some questions were
open-ended, many questions had pre-determined
levels of response that allowed for quantitative
data collection. Research was conducted with the
intent of allowing for direct, experiential feedback in
order to identify solutions instead of informing a pre-
determined hypothesis.
Limitations
To facilitate and encourage responses, no survey questions were made
mandatory, and most included options of providing additional commen-
tary. As a result, the total number of responses for each question does
not always reflect the entire subject group. As well, respondents did not
always include commentary; this may have been due to the fact that a large
percentage of vendors speak English as an alternate language, which was
largely confirmed in conversation when some vendors commented that it
was much easier for them to talk than write about their experiences.
As part of my research I contacted many of the vendors in person at
their location of work. Often it was difficult to predict what times and days
the vendors were present for business. All of the vendors contacted in
person were very willing to share personal opinions and knowledge on
other vendors. Vendors were much more willing to provide a wide range
of opinions and data in person, and all vendors spoken to agreed that the
opportunity to provide feedback was important. None of this information
was officially recorded however, and while commentary gathered in-person
contributes to the opinion of the researcher, recommendations are largely
based upon survey statistics. Any findings from conversations will be explic-
itly stated in the body of the report where applicable.
Findings and Recommendations:

Question categories were determined with the intent of providing responses
that would contribute to valuable background information on vendors, and
Vancouver Street Food
reflect important areas related to successful business operation and pos-
Year One
sible barriers to entry.
6
Vendor Information and Demographics
Who are the vendors?
Responses indicate a relatively mixed gender base, with vendors almost
exclusively residing in Vancouver. Notably, at least eight of the vendors
are immigrants, with 55% having Chinese and Korean ethnicity. Five
responded that they were the sole proprietors of their businesses, while
three others claimed to have one business partner.
Recommendations: Develop program enhancements to encourage

minority groups and micro-entrepreneurs to enter the program and
increase access to healthy food options in lower-income communities
While such results are not surprising given the generally accepted ethnic
base and diversity in Vancouver, this supports suggestions that street food
often attracts minority groups looking to own small businesses. Portland’s
‘Food Cartology,’ states that street food “especially [provides] avenues for
low-income and minority communities to raise their quality of life”(8). Street
food vending is often considered to be a micro-enterprise incubator that
encourages immigrant populations to start-up businesses.
Does Vancouver want to structure their street food program with an agenda
that encourages micro-entrepreneurs, economic development for minority
groups and serves options of healthy food to lower income communi-
ties? Initial results suggest that some of these developments are already
occurring, indicated by the large percentage of immigrants participating
in the program. If the City wishes to explicitly encourage minority and
small business entrepreneurs, as well as increase access to healthy food
options in lower-income communities, this needs to be incorporated into
the selection process or created as an enhancement to the existing more
free-market program.
Further Findings: Consult with Vancouver communities and

organizations that are already working to improve the distribution of
healthy food
Toronto’s Board of Health explored the feasibility of incorporating food related

non-governmental organizations into their A La Cart Program; after consult-
ing with six community organizations they reported the following: “While each
organization expressed support for the notion of using street food vending
to increase access to affordable, culturally appropriate foods in underserved
areas, without a dedicated funding stream these organizations are unable
to purchase food carts and assume the risk of financial loss” (12, Toronto
Medical Officers Report).
If the City is to fulfill one of its three stated motivations of ‘Increasing access
of affordable, healthy food in low-income communities’ (as part of the original
motions that initiated the program), then further exploration is necessary. It
is worthwhile to consider how the ability of mobile vending may contribute
positively to such communities. Mobile vending has the capacity to activate Vancouver Street Food
spaces with few food options in locations that may not justify (or be too risky) Year One
the type of capital investment associated with permanent brick and mortar
restaurants, and may fit into the streetscape with a more likely chance of
being well received by the neighbourhood.
7
Thus far, the Street Food Program has only been
concerned with vending units that are stationary at
allocated locations for the duration of their operating
hours. In cities such as New York, LA, Portland and
San Francisco, vending units have the option of
vending throughout the city under varying degrees
of regulation, both as stationary establishments
located on private property and as businesses that
‘roam’ from location to location. The City has now
included:
photo thanks to ‘Vancouver Sun Blogs’ Oct. 26, 2010
“a trial expansion of allowable types of food sold from mobile
vending units. This trial allows for a greater variety of food
offerings from mobile units. The trial would make available a
maximum of 20 mobile food vending permits for a trial period
from June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012. The 20 permits will allow a
greater diversity of healthy, non-packaged food to be sold from
mobile units.” (5, Admin Report)
An examination needs to be undertaken of how street vending could
function and financially operate amongst and in consultation with Vancouver
communities and organizations that are already working to improve the
distribution of healthy food.
Designing a sustainable social enterprise model for operation in connection

with such organizations could notably work to address the food quality and
nutritional value of available for lower income residents and even provide
training and employment opportunities.
Heather O’Hara, executive director of the Potluck Café, a social enterprise

in the Downtown Eastside, has suggested ways in which the Street Food
Program might work in the DTES neighbourhood in conjunction with their
organization (see appendix for further details).
Application Process, Start-Up and Financing

Is the current application process effective? Does it help to
achieve program goals?
A significant amount of the vendors were made aware of the call for appli-
cations by the media, indicating that methods of publicizing the request for
applications was effective. The program received over 400 distinct applica-
tions and about 800 in total, suggesting that a more stringent application
criteria is required as an alternative to the current system of a lottery-based
selection of applicants with little pre-selection evaluation.
Year One
8
While Vancouver included aspects of requirements such as menu items,
a food safety plan and operations diagram, it is questionable that these
requirements provided a pool of applicants that were suitably qualified and
prepared to meet the quick deadline for operation set by the City (set in an
attempt to launch the program for summer 2010). The requirements stated
by the Vancouver request for applications were as follows:
•• Applicants must be prepared to begin operations no later than

July 31, 2010
•• Applicants should offer menu items other than hot dogs and
pre- packaged, non-perishable food like soft drinks, chips,
candy bars, granola and nuts
•• Applicants should offer nutritional options as part of their
menu
“
The lottery really isn’t a
suitable method, fine
•• Applicants should have a plan to reduce the environmental
for the first efforts but
impact of their operation (i.e. waste management and / or hopefully they will be
diversion) awarded on merits in
In comparison, the guidelines for the 2010 Request for Proposals by the
City of Cleveland are much more specific, requesting:
future.
”
•• Company description and complete resume identifying
management structure, personnel and overall experience in
performing this type of work
“It has been difficult
because it costs a lot of
money to build a com-
•• Schedule of operating days and hours of operation missary unit (with double
•• Menu with approximate pricing as well as business finances kitchen sink, hand
•• Statement of how the business will meet the goals of the washing sink, mop sink,
program grease trap etc.) and
also the concession cart
•• Recipes of menu items
itself. The monthly rent for
•• References from the food and beverage industry the commissary unit with
Noting the difference between the two requests for proposals is important pending approval is hitting
in when considering what revisions to make to Vancouver’s application
process.
us quite hard, too.
”
70% of this survey’s respondents stated that they had prior hospitality
background, and most had extensive experience in the restaurant industry.
Does Vancouver’s Street Food Program require individuals with solid hospi-
tality experience, and if so, how would this be determined? Is there a direct
link between those vendors who have suitable prior experience and their
current measures of success within the program? Since the survey was
anonymous, it is difficult to determine such direct links from survey results.
Exercising caution from lessons learned by Toronto’s arguably over-
prescriptive ‘A La Cart’ Program launched in 2009, Vancouver has perhaps
done well to allow for a more ‘open’ Street Food Vending framework.
Attention should be paid to the upcoming release of an independent
review on Toronto’s program for possible considerations that could be Vancouver Street Food
of importance for Vancouver’s Street Food future. Clearly, a fine balance Year One
needs to be struck between innovation and regulation. How can the
process ensure that vendors are qualified and financially prepared to run a
street vending business?
9
Recommendations and Further Findings: Consider whether to limit
the number of vending locations per business
While perhaps difficult to develop terms of exclusion, what is currently

preventing a major restaurant chain from vending their wares, and is this the
direction Vancouver wants to take? The well-known example of the hot-dog
vendor Japa-Dog is an example of how successful vendors can expand
their business to multiple locations. Quite a few vendors mentioned that
they were interested in expanding to at least another location. However, as
the program expands it may be important to consider whether or not to ‘cap’
the number of food vending locations that a business to allow for diversity
and room for micro-entrepreneurs to break into the street food vending
market.
To be sure, these are difficult questions to answer, yet specific criteria ad-
dressing such questions need to be explicitly incorporated into application
criteria for the program. The nature of street food vending most definitely
encourages individuals with a predilection for working with food and an en-
trepreneurial inclination. To what level and how definitively the City chooses
to select this background is important to consider when re-evaluating the
application process.
Recommendations included in the City’s Administrative report dated January
7th, 2011 support a selection process that does directly assess the experi-
ence and suitability of possible vendors. A selection committee made up of
food professionals to pre-screen applicants will be
“carried out by staff and a judging panel of local experts who
will rate each application on the basis of: readiness, experience,
qualifications, nutritional content, menu diversity, use of local/
organic/fair trade food, proposed business plan, environmental
factors etc.”

Year One
10
photo credit ‘vancouverstreeteats.ca/category/vendors/
kimono-koi-crepes’, accessed Dec. 25, 2010
Business Planning
Did vendors write a business plan prior to
opening their street vending business?
5 out of the 14 vendors claimed they wrote a business plan prior to
opening, while 4 claimed that they did not—yet in total 7 claimed that some
form of small business training or guidance would be useful, either before
opening, presently or in the future.
“ Prior hospitality experience
was very useful in a way
because now we know we
Recommendations: Format a vendor pre-selection process based have to prepare and plan on
on the merits and quality of vendor’s applications; require a business business like this at least 1
plan as part of the application format; provide optional small business YEAR before the scheduled
training and information sessions to better inform prospective vendors. operating date. I only wish we
were more informed about
Competition can be a good thing. If potential applicants understand their importance of such require-
application will be comparatively measured on the quality, thoroughness ments and processing time
and adherence to program stipulations, submissions and vendors are more and method by a seminar or
likely to be well-prepared and informed. A pre-selection process should be meeting of people who are in-
implemented that determines applicants based on merits and quality of ap-
plication, with criteria that clearly emphasize the stated overall goals of street
vending for Vancouver. This has been addressed in the second Request
terested BEFORE the draw.
”
for Application will incorporate a “selection process for Food Street Vendors
[that] will be carried out by staff and a judging panel of local experts who will
rate each application”(7).
It could be beneficial to work with interested and existing vendors to provide
small business training, and in conjunction gain their input to create a
“ I wish there was a training
and it would definitely help a
standard business plan format for application and selecting vendors for the lot of people who are inter-
program. ested but not sure where to
Offering information sessions on aspects of running a vending business for

future applicants (and possibly including existing vendors in such sessions)
begin.
”
could also be an effective method of targeting and informing suitable candi-
dates.

Year One
11
Start-Up and Financing
How have vendors funded their operations and are start-up costs
prohibitive?
Only 2 of the 14 surveyed vendors applied for a small business loan, and 6
stated that they used personal savings, including “credit cards and money
from other businesses, partner’s money, cash flow from other opera-
tions, and loaned money from family members and friends”. In addition, 6
responded that it was ‘moderate to difficult’ to find sources of funding.
Can vendors support themselves financially solely from their

vending business?
Significantly, 6 survey respondents commented that they do not feel they
can financially support themselves solely through their vending businesses.
A successful program requires businesses that can sustain themselves
financially, and often one of the main barriers to entry are start-up costs.
Micro entrepreneurs often face many hurdles in getting startup financing,
and they sometimes lack the skills necessary to manage the financial aspect
of their business. As one Vancouver vendor claims, “starting any new
business usually begins with losses.” Hopefully with a second season of
operation, initial costs will be recovered, and with growing public patronage
profits will be made.
Yet how involved does the City wish to be in the success of street vending?
How might the City financially assist new vendors to start their businesses?
Recommendations: Monitor street food business for measures of

financial sustainability; explore options that support business and in-
crease sales through the off-season.
The street food businesses need to be monitored for financial sustainability.

It could be prudent to strategically explore options and alternatives that help
to grow support for vendors and increase sales over the off-season period.
This could be done in consultation with vendors, and include examples
such as organized Street Food festivals similar to those in San Francisco, LA
and Cleveland that encourage public awareness and support. Cleveland’s
“
Business is hugely affected
by the weather. We started
event, “Be a Nomad: A Celebration of Cleveland’s New Food Carts,” closed so late in the year we didn’t
a section of street for their affair, and held competitions between vending much in the way of good
chefs to enliven the event. Organizers claimed it was an effective way to weather. On sunny days
show people ‘on the go’ that healthier food choices are available and grow we see 3-4 times the sales
patronage (June 2010, Cleveland.com) compared with rainy, cold
To facilitate small business development, as well as assist first-time entre-

preneurs and those who might not otherwise be able to start a vending
days.
”
business, the City could consider whether they wish to assist in making
loans available to successful program applicants. This does not mean the
City has to allocate funds to the program, but could work in conjunction
with interested financial institutions. In contrast to Vancouver, Cleveland’s
program offers loans to aspiring small-business owners to start food-cart Vancouver Street Food
businesses, encouraging people to become entrepreneurs who might Year One
otherwise not be able to.
12
Operations
How did the City’s application requirements and opening deadlines

impact the current state of street food vending businesses?
Overwhelmingly, when asked about the process of beginning operations
and meeting the date of operations set by the City, 9 vendors claimed that
“ The main restriction was
getting a cart ready on very
it was challenging or very challenging—only 2 claimed that it was an easy short notice. In the end, in
process, where both of these examples had made prior forays into food trying to meet the deadline
vending before the call for applications. (we ended up needing an
extension), I don’t think we
That many vendors struggled with meeting the launch deadline of July 31st
is not particularly new information; many requested extensions and there chose the best cart design.
was extensive media coverage highlighting the overall lack of operating units With more time we might
in the summer of 2010. Vendor comments claiming escalating costs and have been more prepared
compromised appearance for vending units because of the short deadline and more successful with
were plentiful. Of the 17 vendors who were allocated locations, 14 vendors
are operating; 2 vendors are not operating (although they are slated to open
in early 2011) and one spot has been granted to the alternate applicant
sales.
”
selected in the initial lottery.
In conversation with vendors, it became clear that most had managed to
open—albeit at varying times—yet that some locations have since been “
It was next to impossible to
start from scratch and create
leased to alternate operators (and even a location had been leased from an a full business in the time
existing hotdog owner). Many claimed that this occurrence was frustrat-
ing for them and even unfair to vendors that had not won locations in the
lottery. In the initial application process guidelines clearly state, “The Street
provided.
”
Vending Permit is non-transferable… and is invalid if sold and will be im-
mediately revoked”. A yearly Street Vendor Permit fee of $1004.00 can be
considered a small sum to maintain a prime business location in downtown
Vancouver, and if there is a profit made on leasing to other parties it could
exacerbate notions of fairness and ‘legitimate’ dealings.
On the flip side, sub-leasing seems to be a currently functioning solution
“ I think that allowing people
to lease out their location
brought about by mutually agreeing parties that is capitalizing on vending is unfair. From my point of
locations that might otherwise not be in use. view that wasn’t supposed
to happen. The license says
Recommendations: Clarify and enforce sub-leasing guidelines; non-transferable. I think that
determine whether to mandate a minimum period of operation for leasing out the license is
vending units; allow for a longer period of preparation before vendors the same thing… Why are
are required to open. outside companies allowed
to come in and lease these
”
The City needs to clarify and enforce the sub-leasing policy. The City’s spots?
recent decision supports restricting the option of sub-leasing by requiring
all Pilot Program permit holders to “operate the site themselves (instead
of leasing the space to another operator)”, and will “[phase out] previous
leasing arrangements in effect.”
Year One
13
Further, since some vendors are operational for only a portion of the
day, week and even year, the City might consider mandating a minimum
period that vending units are designated to be ‘operational,’ and how they
would enforce this. The City of Cleveland requires that vendors operate a
minimum of 180 days per year. This helps to ensure that vendors awarded
locations operate their units as an ongoing and established business instead
of perhaps a more ‘casual’ enterprise.
According to the City administrative report, adjustments can now be made
to such permit conditions “as part of ongoing program modifications. Guide-
lines for a limit on the number of times a permit can be renewed as well as
minimum requirements for operation of the site will be evaluated.”
The initial launch of the Pilot Program received a quick-start mandate for the
summer of 2010. The requisite time between the date of being allocated “
We missed the good season
for vending. It was a very hard
a location and when vendors were directed to be ‘open for business’ was
not sufficient, but will most likely not be the case for 2011. Providing more
resources and information for potential vendors, as well as revised guide-
”
start.
lines allowing for a longer ‘launch’ period, this ‘scramble effect’ could be
mitigated, ensuring a much smoother transition for happier and more stable
new vendors.
If the following stipulations are included as eventual program regulations as
suggested in the City Administrative Report, procedures for monitoring and
enforcing the violation of these guidelines will also need to be established.
•• Preventing subleasing
•• Minimum period of operation per year
•• Adjusted timeframe for vendors to begin operations
Food Safety Requirements

How is the transition to street food vending in Vancouver working
for vendors under the guidance and requirements of Vancouver
Coastal Health?
It is difficult to gauge a primary theme of vendor response on requirements

set by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) for permission to operate. Some
verbally stated that health regulations were more stringent than for ‘brick and
mortar’ restaurant requirements, and should instead reflect a smaller scale
mobile operation. Others said that VCH were very helpful and understand-
ing by providing ongoing assistance to achieve their Health Permit. Multiple
comments reflected the difficulty of passing inspection by VCH with units
or commissaries falling outside of their legislative boundaries; it seems that
some units had attained health permits from the Fraser Health Authority that
were not accepted by VCH. Other vendors made note of the fact that the
commissary they have spent a good deal of money to convert to code has
not yet received approval and they are still awaiting response from VCH.
Year One
14
Vancouver currently has good amount of control to allocate permits
because the numbers of vendors are small and inspectors have worked “ It is taking a significant
amount of time and money
closely with the new vendors. If requirements are too difficult or unclear just to meet [the commis-
from the start complications can arise that can cost starting vendors a great sary criteria]. I wish the
deal of money and valuable time during the peak selling season. Identifying City of Vancouver and
areas that have created complications and streamlining the process could Vancouver Coastal Health
go a long way to assist starting vendors. had a more strategic
At least 1 vendor has closed and others have had to significantly re-work and productive way of
their menu in order to meet food safety requirements. educating the candidate on
the importance of this, or
It is unclear how vendors are permitted to change their menu without provide support in finding
approval. When asked if they wished to make or had made changes to a commissary unit, not
their original menu submitted at application, 6 vendors replied yes. 2 stated building one from scratch
that this was because “business was slow,” and we can deduce that they because of the timeline
”
feel changing some menu items could help increase sales. Trial and error they’ve set.
is often an important part to any food establishment’s start-up and menu
development, and the ability to change a menu (particularly for an extremely
weather dependant business) might be crucial to survival.
VCH commented that there currently was no standardized process for
menu changes, and that all changes had to be judged on a case by case
basis. The majority of vending units are currently carts, which are the most
“We need to add some
winter menu items because
it is cold now and changes
”
restricted in what they are allowed to sell. “Small mobile food units are
are needed.
limited to the sale of one pre-prepared or pre-cooked menu item from an
approved source. Complete mobile kitchens are capable of more food
offerings”(VCH, Requirements for Application). This means that if a small
“
cart wants to change its menu, it is very likely to have difficulties because
of equipment and food safety requirements. Larger units are more fully We try to create a new
equipped, and do not face as many restrictions because it is easier for
them to maintain food safety standards. However there is a somewhat
‘grey area’ about the extent of changes they are permitted to make to their
menu item each week.”
”
menus.
It is important to note that VCH is working from a preventative standpoint to
ensure the highest food safety standards for customers and avoid negative
impact for vendors.
Recommendations: Ensure menu flexibility that meets health

standards
Some vendors have sought health permits for their vending units or com-
missaries outside of VCH’s jurisdiction (for example Surrey and Richmond).
Since VCH is the final approving body that can grant operational status, it
needs to clearly state that commissaries and units built and/or approved
outside of their jurisdiction will be subject to final approval from VCH. De-
termining criteria in conjunction with the Fraser Health Authority would be an
effective measure to prevent some of the difficulties vendors encountered Vancouver Street Food
within this initial phase of permitting. Year One
15
Evidently, vendors would like to be able to make ongoing changes to their
menu. This flexibility is important; for example, daily or weekly specials have
the possibility to entice returning customers, keep food offerings fresh and
exciting, and importantly offer food that reflects the season, i.e. ice cream
or salad do not sell well in January. Determining whether it is possible for
VCH to create parameters for the vendors to be able to change their menus
(in relation to the type of vending unit they operate, for example a cart or a
truck) is essential to allow for adaptable, creative and competitive street food
businesses. A VCH representative did state that as long as menu changes
did not affect the food safety plan or add additional items, menu changes
should not be too difficult to put into place, but do still need final confirma-
tion from VCH (email and phone correspondence).
Food Service, Advertising and Sales, Customer and

Vendor Relations
Food Service
Is offering healthy and local food important to vendors?
Since one of the main goals for the City in facilitating street food is to offer
diverse, healthy and local food offerings, it is of interest whether vendors
find such considerations important. 9 vendors feel it is important to sell
locally grown and produced food, while 4 responded that it wasn’t; 7
replied yes and 6 replied no to the importance of organic food in their
menu; and 9 said serving healthy food was important, while 4 responded
that it wasn’t.
These responses confirm that the majority of vendors agree with the goals
of the City in their choice food choices, yet this does not necessarily mean
that vendors are actually incorporating such standards as part of their
menus (although some vendors commented that they do).
Recommendation: Further research on how to help vendors meet the

criteria of ‘diverse, healthy and local food’
Further research is needed to consider how vendors will offer ‘diverse,
healthy and local food’. In order to do so, ‘diverse,’ ‘healthy,’ and ‘local’
need to be defined for the program in order to be able to distinctly incorpo-
rate these goals.
Recent adjustments to program requirements state that “Minimum recog-
nized nutritional standards as defined by Provincial Health professionals
will need to be met by all new street food vendors.”(7, Admin Report). The
City is in the process of defining these nutritional standards to be included
in the revised Request for Applications. Ensuring that vendors are able to
understand and reasonably meet these standards is essential; establishing Vancouver Street Food
effective and clear guidelines could benefit from vendor consultation to refine Year One
requirements.
16
In order to fulfill the criteria for local food offerings, finding out where
vendors are purchasing their food from is important. Further research on
how the City can encourage and help facilitate vendors easily access and
use locally grown and produced food needs to be done, and is the subject
of one of the program enhancements reflected in the recent administrative
report.
“A partnership between Social Policy and the
Vancouver Farmers Market Society will seek to
develop guidelines and resources to encourage
street food vendors to source their ingredients from
local (BC) producers where possible. Resources
will include information on what products are
available by season, and which farmers are able
to supply products in what quantities”(6, Admin
Report).
Sales and Pricing photo taken by ‘Vancouver Sun Blogs,’ Nov. 10, 2010
What is the average price range of Vancouver’s new street food?

Importantly, vendors’ menu items were all found to be within the range of
$4.00-$9.00. Some vendors also include snacks that customers can
purchase for less, while other vending businesses have a menu style
where individual, smaller items can be combined. Street food is customar-
ily thought of as food that can be bought relatively cheaply and on-the-go,
and it is notable that this price range is being offered to ensure affordable
street food.
What amount of customers are vendors serving in a day?

Tracking customers or the number of food items sold in a day is not
only important for vendors to gauge their profits, but is also an important
measure for the City to determine the current and ongoing demand for
street food. However, only 3 vendors responded that they tracked the
number of customers they served. Three responded that they served ap-
proximately 1-25 customers on an average day, while others cited a range
between 25 and 150. Tracking customers could be particularly important
to determine the fluctuation in sales, for example to compare the difference
between winter and summer seasons.
Recommendation: Track customer sales for further information on

market demand
Request vendors (or determine those that might be willing) to track sales
on a daily or weekly basis. While this may not need to be monitored over
an extensive period of time, further primary data collection would be very
valuable to determine how effectively the program can be expanded (by
increasing the amount of vendor locations) in relation to actual demand for
street food. This type of data could also serve as an indication of which
vendors are successful in relation to what types of food they are serving. Vancouver Street Food
Year One
17
What are the busiest times of day and week for vendors?
While no vendors responded that mornings from 8:00-12:00PM were
significantly busy, five vendors selected both 12:00-2:00PM and 2:00-
6:00PM as their busiest periods. Not a single vendor designated evenings
after 6:00PM as busy vending times. In speaking with vendors, many said
that they served the office lunch crowd, and were therefore only open from
Monday to Friday. There was no significant pattern of responses however,
to indicate which days of the week were busiest overall.
Recommendation: Work to better include vendors in city events; in-

crease vending times to take advantage of event and late night crowds
To increase the range of times that vendors are able to successfully vend,
an exploration could be undertaken of how to better include vendors into
events. One option is to incorporate established street food vendors into
citywide events, by fast-tracking their special-events license or suggesting
willing vendors to event organizers. Increasing times that vendors are able
to vend to take advantage of event (for example concerts or sporting events)
and late night crowds could help sales; these possible late evening, high-
traffic locations could have a rotating schedule allocating times for interested
vendors.
The administrative report has suggested that “Extending street vending
hours until 4 AM will be considered on a case by case basis in locations “
Worst winter in 50 years is
predicted, what a time to start
where adjacent bars are ceasing liquor service at 3 AM,” which is supported
by the Vancouver Police Department “as a means of addressing street
disorder”(6, Admin Report). While this recommendation addresses part
an outdoor business!
”
“
of the problem, vendors that have been allocated such locations may
not choose to vend during the evenings, opening the possibility for other It is very hard when it rains
vendors to do so. heavy or too cold, because
people on the street don’t
want to stop and grab a
How will vendors cope with what is very likely a weather snack or food... Also, when it
dependant business? is windy, it is very hard for our
”
Not one vendor claimed that weather did not affect their sales, and at least stove to work steadily.
6 agreed that there would be challenges to remain open during the fall/
winter months—and 6 stated they would not or were uncertain they would
“
stay open during this period.
Our product is not appealing
Recommendations: “Rain, rain go away” when it is cold. We would
Further research best examples from other cities to increase vending offer hot soups and things as
options, such as fresh produce vending well but for now we do not
It may be wise to acknowledge that vending during fall/winter months may feel it is worth the investment
always prove difficult, and to seek realistic options that can help during the to winterize the cart. Vancou-
slower season. Further research into what other cities with long periods of verites don’t really seem to be
inclement weather are doing could provide ideas that could contribute to the embracing ‘street food eating’
viability of street food for Vancouver.
New York’s Green Cart Program has approved “1,000 new mobile food
”
totally yet

carts for neighborhoods that are isolated from traditional supermarkets,
grocery stores and farmers’ markets, offering fresh produce at reasonable Year One
prices”. The program is “part of a public-private effort to make healthier food
18
available to the poor while also providing 1,000 new jobs. Many vendors
are immigrants from Latin America, Asia and elsewhere” (Collins, New York
Times).
This program is a good example of City supported small businesses that
can survive year round, attract minority groups (the program partnered with
a nonprofit organization that helps those who do not qualify for bank credit),
and promote the sale of fresh, healthy food. One New York Green Cart
vendor claimed, “business is so good that we are staying open 24 hours a
day, seven days a week” (New York Times). Vancouver could look at the
viability of including vendors in areas of the City with sufficient density that
would benefit from the sale of fresh produce; and such businesses would
require sufficiently less investment than a vendor who is selling prepared
foods.
Advertising
“
How are vendors promoting themselves?
6 of 14 vendors claimed they used advertising, marketing or social media Vancouver street food needs
to boost their business. Facebook, Twitter, websites and press releases to be good. We need to
were cited as the only methods of promotion, and of the 6 who employed establish it as an attraction of
such methods, all responded that these have been effective to this end. the city by next summer. If it
is hit and miss people might
Many street vendors across North America in cities like New York, San not think to hit the streets
Francisco and Seattle are joining the social networking crowd as a means looking for us. So I think it’s
for customers to locate mobile vendors, announce daily specials and important that we all do well
promotions, ask customers for feedback or suggestions, and can often be and serve healthy, delicious
”
used to establish a brand or identity. food.
Findings:
The independent website Vancouver Street Eats (vancouver-
streeteats.ca) features Vancouver street food and vendors, and “I think it would be better
to have the vendors
includes a vendor location map (another of which can be found
more officially on the City’s ‘Streets’ website http://vancouver.
closer together and
ca/engsvcs/streets/retailUse/foodPilot.htm#1). However, as of accumulated in an area
yet there has not been a vendor-united marketing collabora- to draw more people to
tion. Arguably, vendors should, to a large degree, be respon- that area and increase
”
sible for their own efforts and success with regards to advertising, the overall profile.
however if small business training or information sessions were
offered at some point (see previous recommendations), then dis-
cussing effective methods of advertising and promotions would
be an important segment to include.
The ‘Vancouver Street Eats’ website has posted the launch of an iPhone
App by Tatlow Park Software. As more vendors join the program and
vending hours are perhaps revised, customers will need an easy way to
find open vendors. The Street Food App marks some (but not all) vendor
locations, with green and red pins showing which are open and closed,
helping to promote all vendors equally street food community.
Year One
19
Vendor Relations
Are vendors interacting with each other?
10 vendors cited they have been in contact with other vendors, with reasons
including “support, helping out, comparing experiences, finding a commis-
sary partner and sharing information”.
5 vendors selected that they saw other vendors as a
resource, 3 chose ‘other’, and only 1 stated that they viewed
other vendors as competition. However, of the 3 vendors
who selected ‘other’, all had commentary that clearly com-
municates these vendors feel working more closely together
“Co-Opetition”
contributes to their strength.
Significantly, 9 vendors find contact with their fellow vendors
to be useful and beneficial to the success of street food
vendors overall.
“experiences,
Tremendous value in sharing
best practices, and
Recommendations and Findings: Support and help to ensuring overall success of the
form a collaborative vendor association with an online
component for vendor input
program. Quality impacts us all...
The City could support a web-based marketing platform where vendors could
”
update information on an ongoing basis, which would also serve as a useful
base for event organizers to submit calls for street food vendors or feature
City events incorporating street food—such as the aforementioned vendor
festivals.
The San Francisco based ‘CartProject’ site (www.sfcartproject.com), which
includes such resources for vendors as information on accounting and pur-
chasing; business planning; insurance; point of sale systems; social media,
networking and twitter. The site provides a vendor resource base and
encourages collaboration and information sharing, and while independently
vendor-run, it also works to promote festivals that are held in citywide neigh-
borhoods in conjunction with the City and San Francisco Arts Market.
The previously mentioned Vancouver-based ‘StreetEats’ website could
perhaps evolve to provide further explicit examples of such vendor support,
and include a sign-up site for catering and event vendor services. However
such a platform develops is not focus of this recommendation; instead it
is to highlight that research suggests there is a demand that could be well
served by a unified resource base and collaborative association with the
capacity for ongoing vendor input. “
It is cheaper to get
[vending units] from the US
but we didn’t have enough
Vending Unit, Site and Commissary Information time to get them made in
What can we learn about the vending units?

the US.
”
A balanced mix of responses indicate that many vendors either built their
vending unit themselves; had it made by Apex carts; bought a unit second
hand; or had Surrey based Apollo Cart Manufacturers construct a new
unit or renovate an existing structure. Many mentioned difficulties with Vancouver Street Food
construction delays for their unit—largely due to the fact that there is only Year One
one company in Vancouver doing this specific type of work. The 15 new
vendors added to the program for the upcoming 2011 season may create a
backlog of work that delays vendors from opening.
20
The City has not established a set ‘type’ of vending unit. Currently, there
“ I am very happy with the
are smaller vending ‘Carts,’ which function and appear somewhat like a
hotdog cart; ‘Concession Trailers,’ that are towed by a external vehicle and
vary in size; and ‘Mobile Vehicles,’ that can be driven as an entire unit and
”
location.
may have been converted or purpose built. The large variation in types of
street food vending units is reflected in the initial cost of the vehicles, which
ranges from as little as $600 to as much as $65,000.
At least 6 vendors would like to make changes to their unit to improve
workability/efficiency, appearance, customer attraction and operational “If the city of Vancouver
is planning on doing this
power supply. Many vendors mentioned the lengthy process of converting ‘lottery’ again and is not
their units with specialized companies as well as difficulties adapting their going to provide with
vending unit to their allocated site. sufficient resources (i.e.
Some vehicle units were not suitable to a sidewalk location; others had referrals on completed
to contend with a large slope making it difficult to gain stability; some commissary units), I wish
mentioned lacking necessary and time dependant driving permits for they’d just get applications
specific areas; and others mentioned that were asked to move or re-locate from those who are 100%
when events, movie productions and work were done close to the vending prepared to operated at
location. Some vendors mentioned the difficulty of operating carts in cold the time of draw. If the
and windy weather, and many noted that “concession trailers are a better City of Vancouver, and
choice than small vending carts because according to the requirements of VCH can collaborate
VCH, there are very, very, very, very limited things that [can be done] on a and set up a program by
small vending cart”. There was a mixed and lacking response to whether working TOGETHER, have
vendors felt their site was an effective location in relation to customer base, someone in charge who
street visibility, other food establishments and overall satisfaction. is knowledgeable on both
sides of the authorities it
Recommendations and Findings: Clearly define food safety guide- will save so much time
lines with respect to types of vending units; correlate VCH and Fraser and energy for everyone.
Health regulations with respect to permitting units Right now it is so tough
Allowing the type of street food ‘vehicles’ to evolve naturally allows for a to correspond to two
good diversity of vending units within the program. With options for smaller different offices at once
carts included, cost barriers to enter the program are less prohibitive for (and I don’t think there is
those unable to invest in a larger unit; however prospective vendors need much interaction between
to be well informed on the food and facilities strong restrictions for permits the health authority and the
on smaller carts—and that carts can face operating difficulties due to size
and weather. This needs to be clearly determined before vendors have
built their cart according to VCH specifications, so that vendors do not end
City).
”
up unable to sell their planned menu items.
Evidently it is necessary to match the type of vending unit to the site, and
is therefore necessary to ensure this is the case at the time of assigning
locations. With no current determined guidelines or measurements for the
units incorporated into the application, these could be established without Vancouver Street Food
being overly prescriptive in order to avoid confusion or having to move Year One
vendors from allocated locations because units are not site-suitable.
21
How are vendors managing vending unit storage and commissary
requirements?
Not all vendors are able to store their vending unit at their commissary,
although 5 claimed they did, and 5 claimed finding or attaining spaces for
these spaces was difficult—quite a few vendors commented on the dif-
ficulties and lengthy process of converting existing spaces to meet permit
requirements, and that this cost and process prevented or is still preventing
them from opening within a reasonable time. For those that have located
a commissary outside the boundaries of Vancouver, this contributes signifi-
cantly to their overall costs and hours of work.
At least 8 vendors share their commissary space either with other vendors
or businesses, and at least 9 selected ‘moderately’ to ‘very challenging’
when asked about finding a commissary space. Comments refer to the low
availability of VCH approved facilities, and the high cost to rent a kitchen and
space where they can store their vending unit.
Recommendations: Explore solutions that aid vendors to find com-

missary spaces; sufficiently inform vendors about the possibly lengthy
process of commissary conversion
As previously mentioned, a vendor resource site or collaborative association
could include the capacity for the advertising of commissary spaces specifi-
cally to or among vendors.
Finding commissaries will likely become increasingly difficult as the number
of street vendors expands. Again, vendors need to be well informed by
VCH of the possible time and cost considerations of getting commissaries
up to code, and the difficulties they might encounter, specifically if the com-
missaries are outside the jurisdiction of VCH.
How are vendors managing their waste?

While a very small amount of vendors mentioned they used biodegradable
products, 14 vendors said they had a recycling box and garbage disposal
at their vending site—which they return to their commissary at the end of the
day. There was no mention of composting generated food waste.
Recommendations: Consider food packaging and composting as inte-

gral to sustainability goals for the program
Currently, the option of providing biodegradable products is left to vendors.
Often such products can more expensive than traditional, non-sustainable
packaging. However, it is important to consider food packaging if street
food is looking to actually adhere to the City’s guiding sustainability prin-
ciples and reflect the Greenest City Action Plan. All vendors stated that they
returned their waste to their commissaries, but it is unclear what facilities,
other than recycling, exist and if waste disposal or composting charges are
included in commissary rental fees—this is an area that could use further
inquiry.
Packaging and composting considerations could be included as part of the
pre-screening criteria, and suggestions on resources could be included the Vancouver Street Food
information included in the City’s Request for Application. If a vendor as- Year One
sociation is established, group procurement of eco-friendly packaging could
be a collaborative option that could decrease the cost of such packaging for 22
all vendors.
Vendor Feedback and Suggestions “ I would probably wait and
see how the first year goes,
as Vancouverites really don’t
What is the overall vendor response to the Street Food Program?
seem to be there yet with
8 of 14 vendors responded that they had major challenges to continuing
the operation of their business—5 did not respond to the question, and incorporating street food
only one selected ‘no’. into their daily schedules. I
would wait until the existing
Weather, commissary rental, vending unit logistics, location and marketing vendors are doing well
were all cited as reasons for difficulties. However, when asked about their rather than dilute the sales.
future business plans, many vendors want to continue operations, expand Market research surround-
with more marketing, move to another location or simply try another season ing whether or not Vancou-
to make their venture work. 5 said ‘yes’ and 8 said ‘no’ to whether im- verites want more street
provements needed to be made to the application process for the street vending would make sense
”
food program and the process of granting health permits. before adding more.
A resounding 90% of the 14 vendors replied that being a vendor has
been a positive experience, and 60% feel that the City should open up the
locations for more vendors. A few strongly stated that they think the City “ If the vending unit is not
compliant, vendors should lose
”
should open up street food vending on private property.
their eligibility.
Recommendation: Vendor Feedback Session
Hold a vendor feedback session, where vendors have the chance to ask
questions, voice concerns and make suggestions. “ Ensure potential vendors
have a plan and intend on
Facilitating such a dialogue is excellent way to increase vendor using the license granted to
collaboration while gaining current and relevant commentary to inform the
program.
them.
”
Conclusion Photo http://munchkie.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/lunch-
on-the-go-vancouvers-food-cart-vendors/, Sept. 2010
This study aims to assist the City of Vancouver in achieving goals

for the continued and effective development of an expanding
street food program.
The majority of vendors felt positive about their experience as
participants in the program and claim they want to continue op-
erations.However, many concerns and problems for the program
have been raised in the survey responses, and results indicate
definite challenges for the continued successful operation of
vendors.
These operational and regulatory challenges need to be
addressed to ensure the program works well and helps the
vendors to directly facilitate program goals. As the Pilot Program moves Vancouver Street Food
into its first winter season, vendors will experience the direct effects how Year One
weather impacts their business. Additional issues may also arise that have
not been present after only 6 months of operation. Since the program is still
very much in its initial stages and the number of vendors is an easily measur-
23
able group, feedback from the vendors (as well as key partners) needs to be
conducted on an ongoing basis.
Many of the concerns raised in this report correlate with the new develop-
ments outlined in the administrative report “Expanded Food Options on
City Streets.” Recommendations that include Pilot Program vendors into
the regular Street Vending Program will expand food vending in Vancouver
with 15 new vendors for 2011, and 60 new locations over the next 4 years.
The program enhancements included in the report address the Program’s
permit conditions, selection process, hours of operation, the inclusion of
local, organic food and economic development opportunities for low-income
populations. Perhaps the most important suggestion to maintain the overall
quality and success of the program is the “on-going consideration of ideas
and concerns that may arise from various partners” (3, Admin Report).
While the City cannot control the market demand for street food in
Vancouver, they can maintain a flexible approach to integrate new insights
and learning into their emerging policy framework. In conjunction with
establishing program guidelines and innovative strategies that are respon-
sive to ongoing learning, effective enforcement and evaluation measures
are crucial. Including the voice of the vendors in the ongoing evaluation
is integral to sustain the momentum of a vibrant and progressive—in both
senses of the word—Vancouver street food program.

Year One
24
Notes on the Author
This study is the culmination of a practicum arranged between Simon Fraser
University and the City of Vancouver. I, Chashma Heinze, am the principal
researcher in the Department of Sustainable Community Development; Janet
Moore as supervisor in the SFU Faculty of Environment; and Wendy Mendes
in the department of Social Planning and Policy serving as project supervisor
with the City.
I am currently completing a Diploma in Sustainable Community Development
with a focus on Food Policy and Communications at Simon Fraser University.
As part of my practicum, I attended multiple meetings with various City depart-
ment members of staff present who progressively discussed the needs, chal-
lenges and possibilities for the Street Food Pilot Program. I also conducted
a comprehensive literature review, which predominantly included reports on
Portland, San Francisco, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Toronto to inform my
understanding of Vancouver’s relative structuring and positioning of their Pilot
Program.
Thank you to my ‘Superwomen’

A heartfelt thank you to the wise and dedicated support of my two supervisors
Janet and Wendy. I am privileged and grateful to have their generous, kind
and insightful guidance to support me in my learning. Vancouver Street Food
Year One
25
References
Campanelli, John. “A la cart? Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson Cooks
Up Plan for More Food Options on Street”. June 08, 2009, http://www.
cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2009/06/a_la_cart_cleveland_mayor_fran.html
City of Cleveland. “Request for Proposals for the Operation of Street
Food Carts at Various Locations”. June, 2010. Ihttp://www.city.cleveland.
oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/Finance/RFP?_piref
34_136352_34_121844_121844.__ora_navig=action%3Ddetails%26rfpId%
3D2215
City of Vancouver. Deputy City Manager, General Manager of En-
gineering Services and the Director of Social Policy. “Expanded Street
Food Options on City Streets.” Jan. 7, 2011. http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/
cclerk/20110120/csbu20110120ag.htm
Collins, Glen. “Customers Prove There’s a Market for Fresh
Produce”. New York Times, June 10, 2009.
Galbincea, Pat. “Clevelanders get to sample the diverse wares of
newly approved food carts”. Cleveland.com, June 10, 2010. http://blog.
cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/city_of_cleveland_approves_ven.html
Handley, Ann. “Tweetable Eats: What Street Vendors Can
Teach Businesses About Twitter”. July 17th, 2009. (http://mashable.
com/2009/07/17/twitter-street-vendors/
Jantzen, David. Senior Environmental Health Officer, Vancouver
Coastal Health. Phone Interview on Jan. 26th and email correspondence
from January 25th.
O’Hara, Heather. Executive Director of Potluck Café and DTES
Kitchen Tables Project. Email correspondence November 1st, 2010.
Portland (Oregon) Bureau of Planning and Urban Vitality Group,
“Food Cartology: Rethinking Urban Spaces as People Spaces,” accessed
from http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?a=200738&c=47477.
Medical Officer of Health’s report to Toronto Public Health. Street
Food Pilot Project Update, Nov. 10, 2009. www.toronto.ca/legdocs/
mmis/2009/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-25253.pdf
San Francisco Cart Project Website. http://www.sfcartproject.com/
bay-area-cart-and-truck-services/

Year One
26
Appendix
How to ADAPT the Street Food Program to best serve the Downtown
Eastside Community (Heather O’Hara, Potluck Cafe)
In recognition that there are many DTES residents who are underhoused
and get around on foot, a mobile street vendor strategy makes a lot of
sense.
Suggestions of how to design a street food program model:
•• Food vending units need to be designed so that they are really mobile
and move around the neighbourhood easily and constantly throughout
the day. In other words, vendors need to be able to go to the people
and not the other way round on a regular basis.
•• Food vendors need to be allowed to “vend” at hours of day and in
places that make sense based on community need. For example:
•• Early evening hours in areas where survival sex trade workers are
located
•• At 7 am close to the binners who are lined up at United We Can each
morning
•• Strategic locations on “Cheque Day”
•• When the daycare closes at Crabtree at 3:30 pm and kids are looking
for after school snacks
We need a low tech, cost effective solution for doing the vending. There
are numerous community precedents that are behind this idea of low tech
vending solutions that provide a service + job for DTES residents. For
example the Hope in Shadows Calendar and Megaphone Vendors.
Any COV support and investment dollars for a DTES street food program
needs to be put into the training and job wages for the vendors, their food
safe training, and identifiable clothing—and NOT fancy, expensive vending
carts that may be desired on Robson Street or other neighbourhoods. For
example, bikes with small cooler carts attached or grocery carts outfitted
with coolers or thermal cooler shoulder bags vendors that can haul sand-
wiches around in.
The Food Quality and Nutritional Standards must be aligned with those
standards that will be part of the DTES Kitchen Tables Food Quality and
nutritional standards.
There should be a conscious effort for the food vendors operating in
the DTES to be providing an obvious healthy alternative to the junk food
currently being sold at most convenience stores in the neighbourhood. In
other words, the vendor program should be providing better choices as a
real community need.

Year One
27
Vendor Feedback Survey for Vancouver Street
Food Pilot Program
Department of Sustainable Community Development, Faculty of Environment
Director: Mark Roseland
SFU Supervisor: Janet Moore, Assistant Professor, Centre for Dialogue
City of Vancouver Collaboration: Wendy Mendes, Social Planning Department
Principal Investigator: Chashma Heinze
INTRODUCTION
The City of Vancouver would like to invite you to participate in an on-line survey to help understand vendors’
experiences and provide feedback for the City’s Street Food Pilot Program.
You are receiving this letter because you have been identified as a vendor in this program. Your answers will help
assess the current program and recommend possible changes.
RESEARCH AND SURVEY GOALS

As a Simon Fraser University student in the department of Sustainable Community Development Diploma, the
survey is being administered as part of the principal investigators research in collaboration with the Social Planning
Department at the City of Vancouver.
The survey will provide background information for the continuation of Street Food Vending Program. As there has
been no formal feedback process to date, your responses will help to determine what has been successful and/or
problematic in the program so far.
The information you provide will be summarized in a final report that will be made available to vendors and
may contribute to a report made to City council on the Pilot Program. Results and specific comments will
not be presented in any form that would make individual vendors identifiable. All documentation will be kept
strictly confidential for a period of 2 years until December 2012. Paper-based surveys will be accessible only to
authorized City staff in the Social Planning Department and online results will be kept on a secured, encrypted
server at the same location.
Your participation in the survey is completely voluntary. If you are uncomfortable at any time participating in
the research or answering a portion of the questions, you do not need to complete the survey. You are free to
withdraw at any time. Similarly, if you choose not to participate in this research project, this information will also be
maintained in confidence.
You have two options of how to complete the survey. If you do not wish to complete the survey via this online
method, you will have the option of completing the survey in a paper-based format in the presence of the principal
investigator.
The survey will be open until the 5th of December, 2010. We hope that you are to participate in the survey before
this time. There are 56 questions in this survey
AGREEMENT OF PARTICIPATION
Signed Date:
Demographics
1. What is your gender?
Please choose only one of the following:
o Female
o Male
2. Were you born in Canada?

o Yes
o No
3. What is your ethnic origin?

o Caucasian
o Chinese
o Black
o Aboriginal
o Filipino
o Latin American
o Arab
o Japanese
o Korean
o West Asian (Afghan, Iranian, etc.)
o South Asian (Pakistani, Sri Lankan, East Indian, etc.)
o South East Asian (Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesian, Laotian, etc.)
o Other
4. What area of Vancouver do you live in?

Please write your answer here:
Application Process, Start-Up & Financing

These questions will help us understand your experience of starting your Street Food
vending business.
5. How did you initially hear about the Street Food Pilot Program?
o Media
o Word of Mouth
o Other
Make a comment on your choice here:
6. How many business partners did you start the business with?
o Just myself
o One
o Two
o Three
o Three and above
o Other
7. Overall, the process of beginning operations and meeting the opening date set by
the City was:   (Please explain your answer as much as possible)
o Easy
o Moderate
o Challenging
o Very Challenging
o Other (please include comment)
8. What changes, if any, did Vancouver Coastal Health ask you to make prior to
beginning operations with your vending unit?
9. Did you have prior hospitality and/or food service experience?

o Yes
o No
Only answer this question if you replied NO to question 9.

9 a.) Do you think this type of experience would have been useful?
o Yes
o No
Only answer this question if you replied YES to question 9.

9 b.) Please provide a very brief description of your previous experience:
10. Did you write a business plan before you began your Street Food vending busi-
ness? Please choose only one of the following:
o Yes
o No
Only answer question a.) and b.) if you replied YES to question 10.
10 a.) Did you receive any assistance with writing your business plan?
o Yes
o No
10 b.) Please comment on the process and any important results of writing your busi-
ness plan.
11. Would it be helpful to receive small business training:

o Before opening your business
o Presently
o In the future
o Not at all
Please remember that you are not required to provide any financial informa-
tion if you do not wish to. Your responses to these questions will help de-
termine the finances an average vendor needs to start a food vending busi-
ness. The information will be kept anonymous and confidential.
12. How have you funded the start-up of your business so far?
Please choose all that apply:
o Small business loan
o Personal Savings
o Collaboration with business partners
o Other:
20 Finding sources of funding was:

o Easy
o Moderate
o Difficult
o Other
13. Do you think you can financially support yourself solely from this business without
any other forms of employment?
o Yes
o No
Only answer this question if you replied NO to question 13.

13 a.) Please explain why you feel you cannot support yourself solely through the
income you receive from your vending business.
14. What kind of insurance do you have for your vending unit and business? Please
specify a monthly fee for this insurance if possible.
15. How much do you spend approximately per month on: (Please check which apply)
Please provide your closest estimate. Hospitality equipment includes items such as serving, heating and cooking
utensils.
Hospitality Utilities Food Costs Staffing Commissary Vending Unit

Equipment Rental Storage
Less than $300
$300-$600
$600-$900
$900-$1500
$1500-$2000
$2000-$2500
$2500-$3000
$3000+

Food Service
16. What type of food do you serve?
List any primary food items and/or dishes that you have on your menu.
17. Why did you decide to serve this type of food?

18. Is it important for you to serve: (Please choose all that apply and provide a
comment)
o Locally grown or produced food?
o Organic food?
o Healthy food (for example, low fat, whole grain, vegetable rich foods)?
o Other
Please tell us why or why not:
19. What is the price range for the food you serve?
o $4-$6
o $6-$8
o $8-$10
o $10 and above
o Other:
20. Have you made or would you like to make any changes to your menu since you
started operations?
o Yes
o No

20 a.) What main changes (list at least one) would you like to make to your menu and
what are your reasons for this change?
Customer Details
21. Do you track how many customers you have in a day?
o Yes
o No

21 a.) Please explain your method of tracking customers.
22. How many customers do you think you serve on an average day? Please choose
only one of the following:
o 1-25
o 25-50
o 50-75
o 75-100
o 100-150
o 150-200
o 200 and above
o Other
23. Can you give some examples of:

o Positive responses from customers
o Negative responses from customers
Sales and Advertising Information

24. What are your busiest times of day?
o 8AM to 12PM
o 12PM to 2PM
o 2PM to 6PM
o 6PM to 10PM
o 10PM and later
o Other:
25. What are your busiest times of week?

Please choose all that apply and provide a comment:
o Monday
o Tuesday
o Wednesday
o Thursday
o Friday
o Saturday
o Sunday
26. Is it ever difficult to keep up with customer demand?

o Yes
o No
27. Have you ever run out of food?

o Yes
o No

27 a.) Why did this happen and how do you prevent this from happening?
28. Do you use social media or any type of advertising and/or marketing to encourage
business?
o Yes
o No
Only answer question a.) and b.) if you replied YES to question 28.
28 a.) What types of social media and/or advertising are you using?
Please choose all that apply and provide a comment
o Facebook
o Twitter
o Vending Business Website
o Press Releases
o Newspaper/Magazine Advertising
o Internet Advertising
o Business to Business
o Branding/Concept Development
o Direct Mail
o Editorials
o Other:   
28 b.) Has this been effective?

o Yes
o No
Only answer question c.) if you replied NO to question 28.

28 c.) Do you think some kind of advertising or social marketing would be effective?
o Yes
o No
Working Conditions
29. About how many hours do you work per week at:
Please write your answer(s) here:
Vending Location
Commissary
Administration
Other (please specify)
30. Does the weather affect your sales?
o Yes
o No
31. Will you be open during the Fall/Winter months?

o Yes
o No
o Uncertain
32. Do you think there will be challenges to remain open during the Fall/Winter
months?
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
Only answer question a.) if you answered NO to question 32.

33. Why not?
Vendor Interaction
34. Have you been in communication with other Street Food vendors?
o Yes
o No
Only answer question a.) if you answered YES to question 34.

34 a.) Why did you contact other vendors?
Only answer question b.) if you answered NO to question 34.

34. b) Do you think being in contact with others vendors is or would be useful? (For
example, a vendor feedback session)
o Yes
o No
35. Do you see other vendors as:

o A resource
o Competition
o Other
Mobile Vending Unit
36. How and where did you find your mobile vending unit?
37. How much did your vending unit cost? (Please include conversion costs, if any)
38. Was the unit:

o Purpose built?
o Converted from a pre-existing structure?
o Other
39. Would you like to make any additional changes to your vending unit with respect
to: Please choose the appropriate response for each item
Yes Uncertain No
Appearance
For improved efficiency/workability
Customer attraction
Operational power supply
Other

40. Please include any additional information on your vending unit that you would like
to mention.
41. Where do you store/park your vending unit?
42. Locating a storage/parking space was:

o Easy
o Moderate
o Difficult
o Other (Please explain)
43. Transportation of the vending unit is:
o Not a problem
o Moderate
o Difficult
o Very difficult
o Other (please comment)
Only answer question a.) if you answered moderate/difficult/very difficult to question 43.
43 a.) Please explain why transportation of your vending unit has been or is currently a
challenge.
Commissary Details
44. Where is your commissary located?
45. Is this a shared facility?

o Yes
o No
o Other
46. How did you find your commissary?
47. Finding a commissary was:

o Not a problem
o Moderately challenging
o Challenging
o Very challenging
o Other (please comment)Make a comment on your choice here:
Site Details
46. Is your site an effective location with respect to:
Yes Uncertain No
Sufficient customer base
Street visibility
Placement in relation to existing food estab-
lishments
Not impeding the flow of foot traffic
47. Are you satisfied with your location?
o Yes
o No
o Other
Waste Management
48. Please give a brief description of your waste management system:
49. Are there any changes you would like to make to this system?
Feedback and Suggestions

50. At this point, do you have any major challenges for the continued operations of
your vending business?
o Yes
o No
Only answer question a.) if you answered YES to question 50.

50 a.) Please explain these challenges.
51. What are your future plans for your Street Food vending business?
52. What improvements, if any, do you think need to be made to the process of:
(Please choose all that apply and provide a comment)
o Application
o Conversion/construction of the vending unit in conjunction with Vancouver Coastal Health
o Other:   
53. Have you provided feedback to anyone regarding the business set-up and
operation?
54. Overall, being a Street Food vendor has been a:

o A positive experience
o A negative experience
o Other
55. Do you think the City should open more locations for additional vendors? Please
comment on your response.
o Yes
o No
56. Do you have any further questions and/or comments?

You made it! Thank you very much for taking the time to complete the survey. Your responses will help to in-
form future regulations and structure of the Street Food Vending Program in Vancouver.
 If you have any questions or wish to access the results of the survey you may contact:
Wendy Mendes 
Social Planning Department, City of Vancouver
 wendy.mendes@vancouver.ca
 Tel: (604) 871-6031  
Chashma Heinze
 Department of Sustainable Community Development
 cheinze@sfu.ca 
Tel: (778) 318-6406   
Any complaints you have regarding the research can be directed to:  
Hal Weinberg, Director 
Office of Research Ethics 
Simon Fraser University
 Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 
778 782 6593
 hal_weinberg@sfu.ca 
Application # [2010s0654]  

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Street Food Vancouver: Year One

The Pilot Program initiated in the summer of 2010 looks to expand

Program Enhancements Program Regulations Program Evaluation

•• Expanding the variety of food, with a focus on nutrition and

Available online and in a paper-based format, the open survey response

Findings and Recommendations:

Recommendations: Develop program enhancements to encourage

Further Findings: Consult with Vancouver communities and

Toronto’s Board of Health explored the feasibility of incorporating food related

Designing a sustainable social enterprise model for operation in connection

Heather O’Hara, executive director of the Potluck Café, a social enterprise

Application Process, Start-Up and Financing

•• Applicants must be prepared to begin operations no later than

While perhaps difficult to develop terms of exclusion, what is currently

Vancouver Street Food

Offering information sessions on aspects of running a vending business for

Vancouver Street Food

Can vendors support themselves financially solely from their

Recommendations: Monitor street food business for measures of

The street food businesses need to be monitored for financial sustainability.

To facilitate small business development, as well as assist first-time entre-

How did the City’s application requirements and opening deadlines

Food Safety Requirements

It is difficult to gauge a primary theme of vendor response on requirements

Recommendations: Ensure menu flexibility that meets health

Food Service, Advertising and Sales, Customer and

Recommendation: Further research on how to help vendors meet the

What is the average price range of Vancouver’s new street food?

What amount of customers are vendors serving in a day?

Recommendation: Track customer sales for further information on

Recommendation: Work to better include vendors in city events; in-

Vancouver Street Food

What can we learn about the vending units?

Recommendations: Explore solutions that aid vendors to find com-

How are vendors managing their waste?

Recommendations: Consider food packaging and composting as inte-

This study aims to assist the City of Vancouver in achieving goals

Vancouver Street Food

Thank you to my ‘Superwomen’

Vancouver Street Food

Vancouver Street Food

RESEARCH AND SURVEY GOALS

2. Were you born in Canada?

3. What is your ethnic origin?

4. What area of Vancouver do you live in?

Application Process, Start-Up & Financing

9. Did you have prior hospitality and/or food service experience?

Only answer this question if you replied NO to question 9.

Only answer this question if you replied YES to question 9.

11. Would it be helpful to receive small business training:

20 Finding sources of funding was:

Only answer this question if you replied NO to question 13.

Hospitality Utilities Food Costs Staffing Commissary Vending Unit

17. Why did you decide to serve this type of food?

Only answer this question if you replied YES to question 20.

Only answer this question if you replied YES to question 20.

23. Can you give some examples of:

Sales and Advertising Information

25. What are your busiest times of week?

26. Is it ever difficult to keep up with customer demand?

27. Have you ever run out of food?

Only answer this question if you replied YES to question 27.

28 b.) Has this been effective?