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From hot dogs in New York to Pad Thai in Bangkok, if you can think of it, it’s being sold on the streets somewhere.
Street food is deep-rooted in the history of global cuisine, and it continues to grow in popularity today. It’s popularity in the UK in particular has risen dramatically in recent years which could be attributed to many factors. It’s affordability, its quality, or authenticity, even the social aspect of it. It’s hard to truly pinpoint, but what’s clear is that we in the UK are fans of it. Such big fans that we’re re-thinking the street food industry.
In 2024 we have this traditional form of dining being transformed to suit modern day living. Street food has transgressed from trolleys, and carts, and paper money, and instead we now have bustling street food markets with live music, large multi-tiered inner city dining halls, and re-purposed disused warehouses lined with converted shipping containers. Street food has been revitalised into a contemporary social dining experience that now has EPOS systems and digital loyalty cards. The industry, along with the world around it, has changed dramatically.
Let’s consider the impact of technology on the food industry. Things that now seem almost second nature didn’t seem possible 5 to 10 years ago; being able to order food on mobile apps or being able to have takeaways delivered by taxi to your exact location. Or paying for meals on bank cards stored in your phone and having a directory of all the UK’s restaurants and takeaway venues in your pocket, at your disposal. These all seem like perfectly normal things now, don’t they?
The food industry, and technology, have both well and truly changed, but I’m not certain that the whole food industry is capitalising on the advances of tech. Which particular part of the food industry do I think has fallen behind? Unfortunately… the street food industry. The industry that’s steeped in history and culture, has not integrated with technology in a way that’s conducive to growth. It certainly hasn’t done it in the same way that the takeaway or restaurant industry has.
Let’s look at those two industries. The takeaway industry struggled with keeping its consumers up to speed on what food was available for delivery to them because of the growing number of fast-food outlets. Well now there are apps that you can open wherever you are in the UK, and they’ll list every takeaway and food delivery business in deliverable distance from you. The restaurant industry struggled with ensuring its customers were up to speed on availability of tables due to the growing number of restaurants, particularly in cities.
Now there are apps to tell you about all the restaurants that have tables for your size party at the time you want to eat. What’s the common theme in both solutions in addressing both industries’ key issues? They made the information critical to ensuring consumers choose delivered food or takeaway easily available. They made the ordering and booking processes slick and easy. Let’s think about that as we talk about street food from a consumer perspective.
You’re now a consumer who has decided you want to eat street food, but you don’t know what to have. You’re in a new town or city, and you don’t know the street food markets there like you know them at home. A knowledge of local street food you’ve developed over years of following social media platforms and vendor pages. All you do know is that you’re adamant that you want to eat street food. But now you must find it. How do you do that? Well unfortunately there is no way.
There are no apps like the takeaway industry has, stating the businesses that will deliver to you. There are no apps like the restaurant industry has that quickly tell you where you can get a table. So, what do you do as a consumer if you can’t find the information you need about street food? You go to a supermarket for a meal deal, or you get food delivered, or you go to a high-street restaurant chain.
So how can the industry address the issue? The answer is in the same way that the delivery and fast-food industry did. We make the information critical to ensuring consumers choose street food that is readily available.
We provide street food consumers with a platform that tells them exactly where they can find street food, wherever they are. What does that platform look like in today’s technology? A live street food map that shows a consumer exactly where they can find the spectrum of street food outlets, from independent vendors to street food markets and dining halls. We put the industry on a map so that street food becomes the go-to meal choice for consumers.
Fortunately, this technology isn’t theoretical anymore. This app has been built by the team at My Streats. It’s a live street food map that makes finding street food quick and easy. A live street food map that could be in the pockets of every person with a mobile phone. By bringing the street food industry in line with the technology of the 21st century, we’re certain that the growth and sustainability of the street food industry will continue to grow, supporting all those within it.
NCASS members can access a a free six month trial with My Streats when they register on the app. Find out more here.M
