Does it rhyme with “townie”? 
If so, I wish you well.
I hope it’s pies.
The OP should be aware, though, that Taiwanese people won’t buy anything off a street cart if it doesn’t have tentacles or look like it was dug up from a pet cemetery. So his market might be limited to expats.
The quickest way to success is to pay people to form a long queue.
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And once you’re successful, just wait for the three imitation stalls that will inevitably spring up around you.
My girlfriend (she’s Taiwanese) and I were thinking of doing the same thing. She says you need a permit to set up a food stand. Most of them look portable but are actually bolted into the sidewalk.
You might be able to get away with having a rolling cart that you can keep elsewhere when not in use. There are people at night markets who just show up and sell things. But when they see the police, they close up and disappear. So lots of locals are doing that, too. If you get caught, it’s probably just a fine and a slap on the wrist (especially if you play dumb), but I don’t know how hefty the fine is. A small night market is your best bet, I think. You can go in and set up shop, and pack up when the night is over like everyone else does.
[quote=“Judeman”]My girlfriend (she’s Taiwanese) and I were thinking of doing the same thing. She says you need a permit to set up a food stand. Most of them look portable but are actually bolted into the sidewalk.
You might be able to get away with having a rolling cart that you can keep elsewhere when not in use. There are people at night markets who just show up and sell things. But when they see the police, they close up and disappear. So lots of locals are doing that, too. If you get caught, it’s probably just a fine and a slap on the wrist (especially if you play dumb), but I don’t know how hefty the fine is. A small night market is your best bet, I think. You can go in and set up shop, and pack up when the night is over like everyone else does.[/quote]
I think the Police are the least of your worries,as I was under the impression that most Nightmarkets are controlled by the “brothers” in Taiwan?? Maybe I am wrong.
I actually went and talked to the people in the day markets and night markets. They basically have to pay to “reserve” spots in their area on certain days of the week, if they don’t own a part of a building and work from there.
Apparently, to get the permit and real estate to run a street-side (not illegal street-center) stall with a small interior is very expensive, so many of those vendors tend to be independently wealthy and work those stalls for fun.
Shopkeepers told me said things directly.
In my observation, the street gang doesn’t extort money from the stalls, but offers pretty valuable services. Some of the workers on the street are actually police watchdogs and low-level enforcers against belligerent passersby. They shoot messages to each neighboring watchdog across the market, and everyone clears the road in ritual fashion when the police walk by. Policemen only have the power to enforce an offense in the act (They can’t arrest you for attempting to sell stuff.), so you practically have to be selling something in plain view of them to be fined/arrested. Otherwise, you have plausible deniability (i.e., “No, officer, I’m just hauling my stall to have it repaired – honest!”) – and there is a cart repair shop a few clicks away from the main night market.
The gangsters who do that stuff, though, tend to stay on the fringes of the night market (in this case, right next to my home). I’ve shared beers with them. They’re nice enough.
[quote=“ehophi”]I actually went and talked to the people in the day markets and night markets. They basically have to pay to “reserve” spots in their area on certain days of the week, if they don’t own a part of a building and work from there.
Apparently, to get the permit and real estate to run a street-side (not illegal street-center) stall with a small interior is very expensive, so many of those vendors tend to be independently wealthy and work those stalls for fun.
Shopkeepers told me said things directly.
In my observation, the street gang doesn’t extort money from the stalls, but offers pretty valuable services. Some of the workers on the street are actually police watchdogs and low-level enforcers against belligerent passersby. They shoot messages to each neighboring watchdog across the market, and everyone clears the road in ritual fashion when the police walk by. Policemen only have the power to enforce an offense in the act (They can’t arrest you for attempting to sell stuff.), so you practically have to be selling something in plain view of them to be fined/arrested. Otherwise, you have plausible deniability (i.e., “No, officer, I’m just hauling my stall to have it repaired – honest!”) – and there is a cart repair shop a few clicks away from the main night market.
The gangsters who do that stuff, though, tend to stay on the fringes of the night market (in this case, right next to my home). I’ve shared beers with them. They’re nice enough.[/quote]
What he (she?) said. They’ve gone high-tech now and have bluetooth headsets, from what I’ve seen.
permit, fee, license, rent. call it what you will, you need to usually reserve your spot and pay money for it.
its very expensive to secure a spot in a busy night market! who wouldn’t like to a vendor stand in a prime location of the night market?? after researching, purchase price or transfer fee etc can cost equal or more than what a conventional stand alone restaurant would cost.
let me guess…
is it macaroons…? i think its a great idea.
Procedures for things like getting a permit to sell food in Taiwan are rather easy. Go to the office and find out the details. It is better than paying big fine or run around with the stall every time a police officer pass by.
Taiwantrepreneurs is covering this topic in our meeting on Sunday.
[quote]This should be a fun one! We’re going to start with some self-introductions, so be prepared to stand up and talk a little bit about yourself and your entrepreneurial aspirations.
Following that, we’ve invited some expat entrepreneurs who have started businesses selling at night markets. Come and listen to their experiences, and maybe you’ll be inspired to start your own night market stall!
The event is free of charge, but just to make sure that the venue does all right by us, there will be a minimum spend of $150 per person. Toast gives diners great value, so I hope you agree that this is reasonable and fair. Look forward to seeing you there![/quote]
Anyone is welcome to attend, but you have to sign up for the Taiwantrepreneur’s Group first. After that, just go to the event page and Bob’s yer uncle. 
Thanks, found out too late. But thanks.
its actually not as easy as one might think… its quite a fierce and competitive market space…this is what i hear
especially for newcomers into the night street vendor arena, you have to be established and well connected with the local merchants and vendors
obviously everyone will be competing for the prime real estates where its most popular and most traffic area, i heard that the rent is extremely expensive.
My guess is brownies and I can tell you from experience that fudge brownies, any kind of fudge and most cookies will sell once. I have made this kind of stuff for students in my home and they want to know how to make it but until you can make a rice brownie, . . . . .sorry, I don’t hold out much hope. As for this kind of sweets, take a look at any Subway cookie case. I don’t see them re-filling it very often. Actually most of the cookies taste stale. If they aren’t being sold at a popular franchise, well, your “b” better be “d” good.
I have also done this with breakfast sausage, white cake with vanilla frosting and meatloaf. They all want to know how to do it and will pay for the lesson but your night market stand, if that is what you have in mind, will last as long as you have money in the bank.
BTW, take a look at longevity of any food stand. (Google it) Food service establishments, to my recollection, have a 90%+ failure rate withing the first 12 months, highest failure rate, at least in the U.S.
Anyway, let us know. I’ll stop by for a sample.
Best of luck!
OP, did it work out in the end?
I am planning to start a food cart too, I am a married to Taiwanese, so there is no problem with visa at least.
There are lots of food stands around Carrefour and other big supermarkets, I think it should be ok selling there?
How much would it be for a monthly ‘rental fee’, if I’d try to set it up around Longsan Temple area? Anybody?
Could it be:
Hot Dogs
Corn Dogs
Chili Dogs
Burritos
Tacos
Nachos
Churros
Donuts
Pretzels
If you suspend your cart from a hot air balloon then you’re not occupying the actual ground, and you can move more easily, and have a novelty approach to drum up more business. Just saying…