Winning Design - Street Food Vending Cart Design Competition
URBAN CHOW
Design by Amanda Kali Bent
Design Statement
Urban Chow is a design concept that came out of my own personal "street-food" experience in downtown Toronto. During the summer of 2001, I opened a crepe stand on Baldwin Street called Kali's Crepes. The concept of having fresh, affordable, healthy food on the street was instantly embraced. This made me think, "Why does the most culturally diverse city in the world only offer pre-cooked weiners?" This resulted in the design of a street-vending cart called Urban Chow. The distinct modular design permits vending of a wide range of cuisines, offering flexibility to the vendor and greater choice for the public. To do this, the following characteristics are incorporated into the design:
- Modularity -- allows for personal customization of cooking equipment
- Adaptability – three units allowing for many different configurations to adapt to Toronto's landscape
- Branding options incorporated into the design
- Conforms to the Ontario Food Premise Regulation
- Easily transportable
- Easy assembly/disassembly
- A feature to enable solar lighting
- Durable materials and construction
- Overhead protection ensures that inclement weather conditions and everyday sunrays are
effectively addressed. - Aesthetically pleasing design
Cooking in a public forum, while providing entertainment, will also foster greater social interaction between vendors and customers to facilitate community development and increased social capital. Another advantage of Urban Chow is that it can be a catalyst for entrepreneurial endeavours or help existing food businesses expand. By providing the option to prepare an array of healthy foods, these vending carts will dramatically increase the market for “street food” in Toronto. Providing an affordable and accessible variety of healthy food options will improve the quality of urban life. Urban Chow’s adaptable, aesthetically pleasing design will add new dimension to Toronto's urban landscape.