Flight Club and Jaeki Cho Show Love for New York Street Vendors at Complex Family Style
New York has inspired and nourished Flight Club’s story for over 20 years.
Our history is rooted in sneaker culture, but just as important are the food vendors whose carts have fueled the city's streets and the neighborhoods that make sneaker culture thrive. At this year's Complex Family Style, Flight Club partnered with content creator Jaeki Cho of Righteous Eats and the Street Vendor Project to celebrate the entrepreneurs whose stories are woven into New York City's identity.
Held at Basketball City at Pier 36, Jaeki and Flight Club brought together three of our favorite street vendors—Original Halal Food, Dumpling Magic and Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile—to provide free meals to attendees while spotlighting the work of the Street Vendor Project as the organization enters its 25th year of advocating for vendors' rights. We also partnered with the studio team behind legendary New York artist Steve "ESPO" Powers to create custom A-frame signs for each vendor, celebrating the people and stories behind every cart.
Founded in 2001, the Street Vendor Project is a membership-based organization that fights for the rights of New York City's street vendors through advocacy, legal support, organizing and small business resources. Their work has helped push for expanded permit access, defend vendors against unfair enforcement and create pathways for entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses. As the organization approaches its 25th anniversary, it will celebrate that milestone with a special gala honoring the vendors and community leaders who have helped shape New York's street food culture.
Being at Complex Family Style this year allowed us to practice what we believe: culture is built by the people who dedicate themselves to their communities every day. To do so alongside some of our favorite people and organizations in the city is an everyday honor.
Read on to learn more about the street vendors we invited to be a part of Family Style.
Our history is rooted in sneaker culture, but just as important are the food vendors whose carts have fueled the city's streets and the neighborhoods that make sneaker culture thrive. At this year's Complex Family Style, Flight Club partnered with content creator Jaeki Cho and Street Vendor Project to celebrate those entrepreneurs.
Held at Basketball City at Pier 36, Jaeki and Flight Club brought out some of our favorite street vendors, Original Halal Food, Dumpling Magic and Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile, to provide free meals to attendees and spread the word about Street Vendor Project as the organization enters its 25th year of advocating for vendors’ rights. We also provided each vendor at the festival with custom A-frame signs designed by the studio team behind legendary New York artist Steve "ESPO" Powers. Street Vendor Project was also on site to tell people about their work to lift the caps on permits and licenses and providing loans to vendors who need capital to sustain their businesses.
Being at Complex Family Style this year allowed us to practice what we believe: culture is built by the people who dedicate themselves to their communities every day. To do so alongside some of our favorite people and organizations in the city is an everyday honor.
Read on to learn more about the street vendors we invited to be a part of Family Style.
Original Halal Food
Sherif immigrated from Cairo, Egypt, in 2004 after leaving behind his career as an Arabic teacher. Like thousands of vendors across New York, his workday begins long before the city wakes up, preparing and transporting his cart before spending hours serving one corner of Manhattan.
Recent construction near his location has made business more difficult, but his commitment to showing up every morning hasn't changed. His story reflects the resilience shared by so many vendors who continue building lives and supporting families despite the challenges of operating in one of the world's busiest cities.
For Family Style Fest, Sherif served his signature chicken over rice and falafel over rice, introducing festival attendees to one of New York's defining street food traditions.
Dumpling Magic
For Nima, Dumpling Magic represents both heritage and reinvention.
After moving from Nepal to New York in 2009, he became the first member of his family to graduate from college before beginning a career in software engineering. But inspired by his family's cooking and his brother's early momo truck near Columbia University, he eventually stepped away from tech to pursue food full-time.
Today, Dumpling Magic blends traditional Kathmandu-style momos with distinctly New York influences, demonstrating how immigrant communities continue shaping the city's evolving food culture.
At Family Style Fest, guests enjoyed chicken, beef and vegetarian momos alongside noodles, each dish reflecting generations of family tradition adapted to a new home.
Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile
Cleotilde has become one of the defining faces of New York's street food community.
Serving authentic chalupas poblanas from a cart in Queens using recipes passed down through generations in Puebla, Mexico, she has remained committed to preserving her family's culinary traditions while helping elevate the visibility of street vendors throughout the city.
Since first being featured by Jaeki's platform Righteous Eats, Cleotilde's work has earned citywide recognition, including being named among The New York Times' 100 Best Restaurants in New York City, while continuing to advocate alongside the Street Vendor Project for the rights of fellow vendors.
Her presence at Family Style Fest served as a reminder that some of New York's most celebrated food can still be found on a neighborhood sidewalk.
