Food Truck Court (dead)

[Pete]

I had heard about this project several months ago... They had originally tried to make this work in the Paseo area -- which would have been a far better location, obviously -- but couldn't secure the land.

It's a local group wanting to create a place for food trucks to park with hookups, restrooms, seating and a performance stage.

I know they have similar setups in Atlanta, Austin and some other cities.

Great idea, not sure about the location:

[catch22]

Really strange location. Not close to anything...

[Pete]

Tons of businesses in that area, obviously.

Would probably work for lunch, not so sure about in the evenings.

[bchris02]

I don't like the location. Great idea but something like this shouldn't go in the borderline burbs, surrounding by almost entirely ugly industrial metal warehouses. Is there no way to make it work near downtown?

[Spartan]

Location is everything. They should reconsider.

[Teo9969]

Better place for this would be 36th and either Western or Lincoln.

[Paseofreak]

Love the concept. Pretty sure it doesn't fit in the "if you build it, they will come" category.

[Spartan]

Better place for this would be 36th and either Western or Lincoln.

Yeah, there are some open parcels around 36th and Western that would be perfect.

[BBatesokc]

Agree - love the idea, skeptical of the location.

[kevinpate]

If it is created as a day time lunch and go spot, it makes sense to me. As an evening venue, not quite so much.
But there's little need for a stage area if fast convenient grub grab for area workers is the target audience.

Then again, if it has the right food and music mix, it's basically a permanent space suitable for the same sort of
short term musical events that appear to do well in parking lots. Bluesfest in Bricktown and parts of Jazz in June in Norman come to mind.

Folks arrive and eat, stay for the music and often depart without spending much time in other nearby venues.

[Garin]

Lots of land in the stockyards or fairgrounds area

[musg8411]

The great thing about the one in Austin was the proximity to unique shopping and dowtown. Ideally this would go in somewhere with an established walkable area or potential walkable area. I did hear rumors during my last trip to Austin that the land was being sold to a developer.

[Teo9969]

50th is too far north. 36th and Lincoln would be great because it would get Capitol folks to go a direction different than 23rd, which gets way backed up @ lunch time.

[kevinpate]

50th is too far north. 36th and Lincoln would be great because it would get Capitol folks to go a direction different than 23rd, which gets way backed up @ lunch time.

Nah, that extra distance won't really be an issue if it is marketed to capitol folk. First, it's just another mile. That's not a lot of time difference if the lines at most of the places along N Lincoln are still as long as they used to be. Haven't stopped anywhere on N Lincoln for a grab and dash bite in a long time so I can't say if the lines are the same, shorter or even longer.

Second, it's not chain based fast food and if it attracts good trucks, none of the Lincoln brick and mortar chains can even try and offer the variety that comes from multiple trucks.

[amberda]

yes, the food truck area on south congress in austin is no more, but they also have the 'trailer park & eatery' on first street. torchy's has a location there and it seems like a lot better set up than what was on south congress (as far as seating, shade, and number of trucks). (they also have restrooms available.)

[PhiAlpha]

Yeah this is an awful location for this.

[soonerguru]

Bad location.

[Questor]

I also don't understand their reasoning in this location. I'm not really familiar with what is in that immediate area... Are they hoping to draw people from 23rd / the Capitol complex?

[Mel]

Like everyone else, great idea, not so great location. If you go to all this kind of trouble they need more than lunch business to survive.

[Achilleslastand]

Still bummed about Italianos closing there on N Lincoln and 48th which im sure had something to do with the general locale.

[PhiAlpha]

I would almost rather this not happen at all if they decide to put it there. It just makes it less likely that one will be put in a better location. There has to be a way to put this closer to any district. The only reason these things work in other cities is due to their walkable proximity to businesses and other restaurants/bars...none of which are near this location. The nightlife business for places like this is huge unless they are just aiming to serve lunch.

[Pete]

As I mentioned, they really tried to make it work at a particular site in/near The Paseo but couldn't secure the site.

The good news is I heard that a beer garden is going into that Paseo location (still unsure exactly where) instead.

[Plutonic Panda]

I would almost rather this not happen at all if they decide to put it there. It just makes it less likely that one will be put in a better location. There has to be a way to put this closer to any district. The only reason these things work in other cities is due to their walkable proximity to businesses and other restaurants/bars...none of which are near this location. The nightlife business for places like this is huge unless they are just aiming to serve lunch.

I personally don't really see what harm it would do if they put it here. I agree it would likely be more successful some place in the Paseo, but if they do put it here, just don't worry about it. I highly doubt it would discourage someone from building another one within walking distance of a walkable district. Just because they don't put it where you want it doesn't mean it shouldn't be built at all.

[bchris02]

I personally don't really see what harm it would do if they put it here. I agree it would likely be more successful some place in the Paseo, but if they do put it here, just don't worry about it. I highly doubt it would discourage someone from building another one within walking distance of a walkable district. Just because they don't put it where you want it doesn't mean it shouldn't be built at all.

The thing is there are far better places to put it, even in the suburbs, than this place on NE 50th. That is one of the ugliest areas in the city and it will be surrounding almost entirely by metal warehouses. There's absolutely nothing else of interest around there. If they want to do it in the burbs, they should look a mile west and try to put it in the Western Avenue district. This could be a much needed shot in the arm for that district.

[Plutonic Panda]

I don't care if it is in the burbs and in fact, I would actually prefer to see it in Midtown or Paseo. I'm just saying to say they shouldn't build it period unless it goes where I want it to go is not very friendly.