Queens Night Market is officially open for the season. Modeled after traditional Taiwanese night markets that founder John Wang experienced growing up, the market showcases the borough it calls home and the diversity it's known for.
"Our mission is to curate traditional foods that might be hard to find in New York City. And in order to sort of pass the rigorous application process, you have to have grown up eating what you're selling," Wang told Cheddar.
At Queens Night Market, which has vendors representing dozens of countries every weekend, diversity is about much more than ethnic background. That's why the market prides itself on keeping prices low in spite of surging inflation. At just $5 to $6 per item, Wang hopes the market remains accessible to people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
For vendors, the price caps sting. But many say participating in the Queens Night Market is about much more than profit.
"It's been really, really challenging. But hey, you know, as long as our audience is coming back [and] they're loving it, we're happy to serve," Yeen Tham of Lion City Coffee said.
