National Street Food Conference, San Francisco, August 22

The time has come. I know it's a stretch to think you would make it, but was hoping you could try, or at least pass this on?

First of all, hello! We’re writing to you from La Cocina, in San Francisco, a non-profit organization dedicated to working with low-income entrepreneurs who are launching, growing and formalizing food businesses. We’re writing to you because, over the last three years we’ve embarked on a learning curve as we’ve examined ways to assist our clients in launching formal mobile food businesses in San Francisco amidst the growing national trend of successful mobile food vendors. We found you because it looks like you're into the same kind of thing.

We’re writing to you, specifically, because we’ve noticed that work that you do, and we dearly believe in sharing best practices (not to mention learning from others' mistakes) is the way to go. Last year we launched San Francisco’s Street Food Festival to great success. Our goal for this festival is not only to bring the best foods in the Bay Area together for one day but also to advocate for policies that encourage the successful growth of low-income dntrepreneurs in the formal food sector. We're hoping you might be interested in that same kind of thing.

This year, to further that goal, we are hosting our first Street Food Conference, on the back of our festival. The festival, which will take place on August 21st, will be followed by two days of conference sessions, working groups and networking, and we’re hoping that you will be able to join us. Details on the specific panels, as well as the kinds of conversations we’d like to see, can be found at the end of this note.

As this is an inaugural event, we are hosting the conference as inexpensively as possible. Costs are minimal, and discounts are available at local hotels. We’d very much like to have you here as we believe that a national trend like this deserves a national conversation, and we can’t do that without you. We understand that it's short notice, but we'd love to be in touch with you whether you come or not. If you have the time to pass this information on, via your social networks, we would be indebted, and we hope to hear from you. We will be recording the sessions as well, and are happy to share them with you if you're interested. If you do have time, please link to the following on either facebook or twitter:

National Street Food Conference in San Francisco! Who's going? Link and tickets are here: http://www.sfstreetfoodfest.com/2010/?page_id=97

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

Sincerely,

La Cocina

*Sunday, 8/22 – Session #1, 1:45-3:15pm:*

*Open-Air Markets, **Hawker Stalls** and The Art of Making **One Great Thing
*

Global street food is an unintended celebration of entrepreneurial spirit,
the nature of giving and the drive to make one great thing. Across the
world, chefs and informal cooks use open-air markets and mobile vending
opportunities to bring their culinary creations to the masses. In every
place, this means something different, and the ways in which the world sells
and eats food can tell you a lot about a place. In this panel, join some of
our favorite chefs as they tell you, and show you, the ways food makes it
from the chef to the consumer.

*Moderator: Jessica Battilana, Food Editor, 7×7 Magazine*

*Panelists: **Charles Phan, Chef, The Slanted Door** *

*Mourad Lahlou, Chef, Aziza*

* Iliana de la Vega, El Naranjo (Austin)*

* *

* *

*Session Contact: Caleb Zigas (caleb@lacocinasf.org) and Jessica Battilana
(jess@hartlemedia.com)*

*Sunday, 8/22 – Session #2, 3:30-5:00pm:*

*Truck-Food Nation; The Streets of America*

American street food is nothing new, but over the last couple of years there
has been an undeniable explosion in the presence, attention and
differentiation in the foods that are made and consumed on the streets of
America. Some of this is lamentable, as we’ve seen the past get erased, but
there is also immense creativity and opportunity in the ingenuity of these
vendors. In this panel, John T. Edge will drive us across the country with
the insights of some of the leading innovators across the country.

*Moderator: John T. Edge*

*Panelists: **Kamala Saxton, Marination Mobile (Seattle)*

* Doug Quint, Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (New York)*

* **Veronica Salazar, Chef, El Huarache Loco*

* Jon Ward, Kung Fu Tacos*

* *

* *

*Session Contact: Caleb Zigas (caleb@lacocinasf.org)*

*Monday, 8/23 – Session #1, 9:00-10:30am:*

*Meet and Eat – The Culture and Face of Street Food*

There is an undeniable connection between the people who create street food
and those of us who enjoy consuming it. Perhaps its allure lies in the
faces behind the food, and the human connection that results from a street
food transaction. In America, and across the world, the people who take to
the streets to make food are defining the locale and its culture. In this
panel, we will examine the faces behind the food, how they are perceived,
and the ways in which our expectations are often contradicted by our
experiences. We will discuss the race, culture and gendered issues of street
food and how we as consumers, and all of us as cities, approach these
identities.

*Moderator: Sanjit Sethi, Assistant Professor, California College of the
Arts*

*Panelists: Erin Glenn, Los Loncheros – Los Angeles, CA*

* **Molly O’Neill, Food Writer*

* Sean Basinski, Director, The Vendor Project and The Vendy Awards*

* *

* *

*Session Contact: Sarah Rich (sarahrich@gmail.com)*

*Monday, 8/23 – **Session #2, 11:00am-12:30pm:*

*A Cart on Every Corner? Urban Public Space, City Policy and the
Informal/Formal Business Model*

Our cities are emblems and innovators. Across the country, cities are trying
to deal with the history, present and future of street food. In doing so,
there have been successes and failures. This panel brings those experiences
together to create an understanding of the best practices and realistic
outcomes for an urban public planner to create a healthy infrastructure to
support a successful street food venue.

*Moderator: Margaret Crawford, Professor, UC Berkeley*

* *

*Panelists: Alma C. Flores, Economic Development Planner, Bureau of Planning
and Sustainability, Portland, Oregon*

* Marianne Moroney, Executive Director, Toronto Street Food Vendors
Association*

*Warren Hansen, Madison, Wisconsin*

*Greg Smith, Atlanta Street Food Coalition** *

* *

*Session Contact: Evan Bloom (elbloom@gmail.com)*

*Monday, 8/23 – Session #3, 1:30-3:00pm:*

*Mobile Vendor Economic Policy *

Using the Bay Area as a case study, we will discuss the economic viability
of the street food venture and its ability to produce a sustainable
individual income. The panel will look at a few existing models, from the
illegal food vendor to the ultra-formalized truck. We will explore how
specific cities support these individual vendors and how this affects each
local economy. The panel will examine urban policy that works and doesn’t
work while discussing steps that cities can take to encourage and support
mobile food business.

* *

*Moderator: Kate Sofis, SFMade *

*Panelists: Larry Bain, Let’s Be Frank – Los Angeles*

* TBD from Parks & Rec*

*Matt Cohen, SF Cart Project*

* Shelley Garza, Rising Sun Entrepreneurs *

* *

* *

*Session Contact: Evan Bloom (elbloom@gmail.com)*

--
Caleb Zigas
La Cocina
http://www.lacocinasf.org
(415) 824.2729 x 303
caleb@lacocinasf.org