This week, Zagat editor Billy Lyons goes behind the scenes at Smorgasburg to find out what life is like for an up and coming food vendor.
Smorgasburg is back in its sixth year, and what was once a small market is now a culinary destination that many operators see as a launching pad to something greater
"The application to Smorgasburg is really, really rigorous" noted Matt Gallira, who owns and operates the Big Mozz stands at the weekly market. "It's a hard market to get into, they get about 300 applicants every year. They take about 15 new vendors. So it's a five percent acceptance rate, so probably easier to get into Harvard than it is to Smorgasburg" Gallira added.
Though the application process is difficult, getting a foot in the door is only the first step in establishing a vendor's presence at Smorgasburg. The market has attracted saavy entrepreneurs from across the world to try their hand at promoting their products.
"It's a great incubator to launch your company if you have ambitions of at some point doing a brick and mortar. The people who are there, they're all entrepreneurs and they're really ambitious, and they're really passionate about their product so they're bringing new dishes and new menu items every single week and they're kind of bringing their A game just because you're in front of so many people there's such an opportunity from a business standpoint" explained Gallira, who has grown his brand from a line of tomato sauces to now offering gourmet mozzarella sticks in addition to fresh pizzas.
But Smorgasburg isn't just about business, it's about the food community that comes together to create their own unique traditions "We have no problem taking care of the other vendors and looking out for everybody. They come here for food, we go there for food. We're all in this together" noted Mighty Quinn's Barbeque partner Christos Gourmos. Mighty Quinn's used the Smorgasburg platform to launch its brand, which now counts several brick and mortar locations in New York City and has even expanded its brand to Taiwan thanks to Smorgasburg's global audience.
"There's a huge barter economy behind the scenes" noted Vermont farmer Eric Rozendaal, who drives down from his home state most weekends to provide maple syrup lemonades, freshly made donuts, and egg sandwiches to patrons. Though you might not find an official list of rules posted upon entering Smorgasburg, the vendors all understand what is at stake and are supportive of one another's efforts.
"I think the unwritten code of Smorgasburg is to not elevate your stand at the expense of any other" stated Gallira. The market is currently operating on Saturdays on the Wiliamsburg Waterfront at East River State Park, while Sundays guests can visit the market at the Breeze Hill section of Prospect Park.