DOI:
AUTHOR(S)
Mobasshirul Islam, Mst. Taslima Khatun, S M Faizul Haq
ABSTRACT
Street food vending as an entrepreneurship choice for livelihood in the urban landscape is a complex role for survival. This study explores the factors that influence entrepreneurship choices of street food vendors in Khulna City, Bangladesh. By integrating the theories of informal economy, urban ecology and entrepreneurship this research offers an understanding of street food vending as a dynamic form of urban entrepreneurship. This study employed a qualitative approach using in-depth interviews with street food vendors to capture their perceptions, choices, and socio-economic circumstances. Through these interviews, it uncovers a complex interplay of push and pull factors influencing their entrepreneurial decisions, where economic necessity and the pursuit of autonomy emerge as key motivations. The study challenges simplistic narratives of informal sector participation by highlighting vendors’ complex motivations and ability to navigate infrastructural and regulatory challenges through adaptive strategies. Alternatively, cultural preferences and demographic factors emerge as powerful forces shaping the street food landscape. Many vendors notably aspired to formalize and expand their businesses, challenging perceptions of street vending as merely a subsistence activity. This study further paves the way for future research and policy interventions that can potentially transform urban informal economies into engines of sustainable growth and social inclusion.
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