Tourists, locals and urban revitalization through street food in Warsaw

Abstract

Eating and drinking venues are key to the creation of new forms of city living that are associated with the regeneration of de-industrialized and depressed urban areas. New ‘food clusters’ with social functions are becoming centers of leisure for locals and tourists alike and they can include various types of food and cuisine. They can also be part of the revitalization strategies of specific city neighborhoods. This article investigates two evolving food areas in the city of Warsaw, Poland that are regenerating the Mirów sub-district – Browary Warszawskie and Norblin Factory, focusing on tourists and local residents. It draws on previous literature, internet sites and observation. The article proposes that the international rather than the local cuisine on offer aims to attract more local residents than tourists and that the types of cuisine on offer, which represent formalized/’luxury’ street food, are in line with the gentrification of these areas. Thus, using a specific district in Warsaw the article aims to contribute to the debate on the possible role of new food landscapes in the regeneration – and gentrification – of urban areas.