Italian street food has evolved from a phenomenon associated mainly with large cities and established tourist destinations into a nationwide business sector reaching almost 2,000 municipalities. New data from Italy’s Business Register show just how rapidly this informal and deeply local form of dining has expanded over the past decade.
As of March 31, 2026, Italy had 4,286 registered businesses operating in activities associated with street food, up from 2,271 in 2016. That represents growth of 88.7% in only 10 years.
