Street food market kicks off in Beirut

‘Souk El Akel’, a street food market, has kicked off its activities in Dowtown Beirut. The market is located on Youssef el Rami Street, behind the Beirut Municipality building. The market opens each Thursday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The project is a joint venture between NoGarlicNoOnions, a local food blog and Souk El Tayeb, a local authentic food market.

Joseph Harb, partner at NoGarlicNoOnions, said that the aim of this initiative is to create a meeting point where visitors may experience different food flavors, meet the cooks and vendors, and enjoy their time at the heart of the city. “Our project is in collaboration with Solidere and we also have all the support from the Beirut Municipality,” he said.

Souk El Akel has over 20 vendors who prepare special recipes for the market. Brands include This Little Piggy, Cakes & Bites, Sushi Burito by Ichiban, Colonel Beer, and others. “Ixsir will join the market as of next week,” he said.

“For the time being, we are not profitable, but our figures will be revealed in the next six months,” Harb said. The investment in the project is sizeable, considering logistics, entertainment, lighting, media coverage, and vendors’ costs, according to Harb. “We are using our expertise to put money where it is needed,” he said.

The market is appreciated and visited by both locals and tourists. “It is creating a nice vibe on the streets of Beirut,” he said.

The market will be able to open in the winter by changing the location or installing tents. The souk will also travel to other regions. It will be held in Broumana soon. Faqra and Mzaar could be next.