After working with Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh and TAFE teachers Natalie Zelinsky and Sherryl Sherson, Travel and Tourism student Sinem Tuncer came up with an idea that had everyone talking.

Ms Tuncer was asked to identify new ways to boost visitation and tourism expenditure along the Blue Mile Foreshore.

But her portable restaurant, based on the trendy Muvbox concept out of Canada, had people such Keira MP Ryan Park and Wollongong City councillor Leigh Colacino talking about its other potential uses in locations such as Mount Keira and the Wollongong Botanic Garden. Her idea was using a Muvbox for a Wollongong Harbour oyster bar. She saw the harbour area as a great opportunity for a mobile eatery.

"It will benefit Wollongong as a whole as it will promote tourism while showcasing some of the finest local produce, seafood and wine," she said. "The vision is to provide a unique, sustainable dining experience to locals and tourists in key strategic locations."

Ms Tuncer mentioned University of Wollongong's Illawarra Flame project as being a potential partner.

When the panel saw the modified shipping container she discovered, the Muvbox, they saw plenty of potential benefits.

The international model she used for her oyster bar idea was the New York Grand Central Oyster Bar.

Ms Tuncer said Muvbox was a pop-up space in a moveable shipping container-style concept that could create a unique network of mobile eateries that could be moved to where people were at various times.

"This could make Wollongong come alive again, attracting tourists for food ... and more alfresco areas," she said.

"A Muvbox could also travel to events such as Spring into Corrimal, New Year's Eve celebrations, Wollongong's Australia Day and Viva la Gong."

They cost up to $250,000 to ship and install. Solar panels can provide enough energy for interior lighting and the opening and closing of the box.

Mr Sleigh said the Flame Tree sustainable model was also something that would work at locations such as Mount Keira.

"The concept of the container cafe is something we have been looking at for Mount Keira from the start," he said.

"The idea of being able to provide a fully sustainable opportunity there, through the work the university did with the Illawarra Flame project is very much alive. It solves a few of the problems that we have at Mount Keira not having services up there.

So it would be a short-term fix and a great opportunity to get something activated up there. The Illawarra Flame opportunity of being able to put something up here that is fully sustainable talks volumes about the innovation of the city."