Meet the World’s Next Trend in Street Food: Ecuador’s Container Parks

Step foot inside La Platea Container Park in Quito, and you’ll be greeted by a large sign quoting Mark Twain. It reads “Un hombre con una idea nueva es un loco – hasta que la idea triunfa.” Never has a sign been more appropriate.

Ecuador is a country steeped firmly in tradition and it does not often suffer men (or women) with new ideas gladly, especially when it comes to food. For centuries the traditional Andean meal in Ecuador has remained much the same: a large bowl of soup, a small bit of fried meat, a few teaspoons of vegetables, and heaping mounds of potatoes, rice, mote, or other starches. The meal is hearty, inexpensive, and fills bellies. Why tinker with a tried and true formula?

Related: Eat Like a Local in Quito, Ecuador

As it turns out, tinkering was just what many Ecuadorians were looking for and a new successful idea has taken root. Behold, La Platea, one of Ecuador’s ever-growing number of food container parks. Here you’ll find a variety of food vendors who have converted shipping containers (or other similar structures) into stationary food truck-like businesses. Hungry patrons are able to converge on one central location and have their pick of ceviche, hot wings, shawarma, pizza, bratwurst, arepas, and even sushi. It’s a multicultural food frenzy washed down with artisanal tap beer. [pagebreak]

Alex Vor and Sofia Salazar own the Penny Royal Burger Truck at Bunker Park in Quito’s upper-class La Pradera neighborhood. They say that “container parks have exploded within the city in the last six months.” The news is out and it’s spread beyond Quito. Parks have popped up in other cities throughout the Andean corridor like Cuenca, Ambato, and even little Ibarra.

When it comes to the culinary offerings in container parks, Vor says “it’s an evolution of street food.” This is certainly true with the food that he and Sofia are serving up. While thin patties of ground beef enveloped by spongy white buns can be found at street stalls, Penny Royal takes things to a new level. Orders served up from their kitchen include thick beefy burgers slathered with sweet caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and topped with strips of crispy bacon. While reminiscent of comfort food from the street, the quality and flavor are on a much higher plane.

Veronica Albán owns the OMG! (Oh My Green) food container at the opposite end of Bunker Park. Her establishment serves up healthy fare like salads, chicken wraps, and quesadillas. “People prefer to come here instead of a restaurant because the prices are lower and it’s more fun,” she says.[pagebreak]

That fun atmosphere is something all of the container parks work hard at maintaining. Most of them host weekend events like concerts, open mic nights, and even an escuela de gin event marked by the making and drinking of cocktails.

While a plot of land full of old shipping containers may seem drab, these parks are anything but. The containers themselves have been decorated in funky and inventive ways. Some have whimsical depictions of their menu items painted on the sides while another is framed with red roses and black skulls. A German sausage hut has been given an A-frame peak and looks as though it was transported straight from Bavaria. One stall is even decorated to look like a pig… snout and all.

The seating areas would thrill North American hipsters. Upcycled trash cans and oil barrels double as seats while giant telephone wire spools become tables. Identical checkered fedoras and oversized cheese graters now act as lampshades to the hanging light bulbs. For Ecuadorians it’s a chance to be surrounded by a bit of Western culture—something the younger crowds eagerly lap up.

Only time will tell if these container parks are here to stay, but perhaps they’ll become a new Ecuadorian food tradition enjoyed by generations to come.