Over 100 immigrants from more than 20 countries are taking part in a program that will help them develop, set up, and operate a food truck specialising in food from their home countries. Vísir reports that the would-be food truckers are attending an eight-week course co-sponsored by Innovation Centre Iceland, The City of Reykjavík, and Reykjavík Street Food.
“These are all people who want to bring their food culture to Iceland,” said Fjalar Sigurðarson, marketing director of Innovation Center Iceland. Immigrants don’t always know how to get ideas like this off the ground in Iceland, he continued – “they don’t know where they should look and sometimes don’t know the language. So they need some help getting started.”
“We’re trying to help them as much as we can,” continued Fjalar, although he was adamant that “no one is giving them anything. They have to do this for themselves and have the ideas…what kind of food truck and what kind of food [they] want to introduce to Icelanders and tourists.”
The 100 participants make up 24 different teams. During the first class on Monday, participants worked on designing their menus. A Thai family who wants to open a food truck called Baitong, which means ‘Banana Leaf,’ was among the participants, as were a Pakistani couple, and a woman from Senegal.
The course was advertised before Christmas and a preliminary class was given to introduce the initiative. A hundred and fifty people attended the introductory meeting.
Participants who succeed in turning their food truck dreams into reality will be given the opportunity to take part in street food events in Reykjavík, such as on Culture Night and June 17, Icelandic Independence Day.
“We’re hoping that this spring, Icelanders and tourists will get to try their food, which comes from every corner of the globe,” said Fjalar.
