05/01/2026
For the first time in 11 years, we won’t be attending Sew Hungry and we want to be transparent about why.
Over the years, we’ve watched Sew Hungry slowly shift away from what originally made it so special. More and more trucks now come from out of town, while many of the local trucks (the ones who live here, work here, and support this community year-round) are disappearing from the lineup.
A big reason for that shift is the dramatic increase in vendor fees. What was once $300 for a one day event has climbed to $950 this year (another 26% jump from last year’s already huge increase).
For trucks, the only way to make that work is by charging Toronto-style prices which you may have noticed are often $20 or more for a single menu item.
That’s simply not who we are.
We refuse to price-gouge the community that supports us every day. Hamilton has always shown up for us, and we believe local events should remain accessible to the people who actually live here.
We shared these concerns with the Ottawa Street BIA. While they acknowledged the shift, it didn’t seem to be something they were concerned about. Hamilton events should prioritize Hamilton businesses, especially when it’s Hamilton citizens funding BIA budgets - even when being misused by Ottawa Streets' former chair as recently reported.
So this year, we’re making a choice. We’re choosing our community.
We’ll miss seeing everyone at Sew Hungry, but we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done - serving Hamilton fairly, locally, and with the same love for this city that we’ve had for the past 15 years.
Sew Hungry is still incredibly important for the brick-and-mortar businesses on Ottawa Street, so please show them some love during the event and throughout the year.
