A new trend picking up speed across the country is about to drive in to Plano.
At a regular meeting March 17, the City Council approved the rezoning of 1.6 acres of land at the southwest corner of 14th Street and M Avenue for a new food truck park similar to The Truck Yard in Dallas. The new concept park will be called HUB Streat Food Port and will include a variety of seasonal foods, live entertainment and a full-service restaurant.
HUB Streat Food Port plans to be open by the fall.
Commercial real estate agent and longtime Plano resident Paul Vernon worked with HUB Streat founder James West to find the location. West, a Texas native, and Robert Aitken, a Philadelphia entrepreneur, created the concept for HUB Streat Food Port. Both founders also own award-winning restaurants and gourmet food trucks in the Philadelphia area.
"Being from Plano, I was excited about the idea and actually helped find the site. With all of the growth in downtown Plano, we felt the timing was right," Vernon said.
The Plano Planning and Zoning Department made regulations as easy as possible for the park developers, according to Eric Hill, development review manager for the city of Plano. Department officials worked on the design from an urban planning perspective to make sure the park draws activity, Hill said.
"We approved food trucks to be allowed back in January 2014 in hopes that someone would bring this in. It is a hot and trendy topic right now, and brings a new fast-casual dining option to the downtown area," Hill said. "It was important [to the city] that the food trucks are lined on the street to draw interest from the public."
Anchored by a full-service restaurant made from repurposed shipping containers, the park will host a minimum of two and no more than three mobile gourmet food trucks. In addition to other options, the park will include Joe Spuds, which will serve burgers, homemade fries, and onion rings with creative topping options such as brisket and sauted vegetables, West said.
"Our goal is to make sure trucks at our park are successful. If they aren't, [truck operators] won't want to come back," he said. "The high-quality beef for the burgers will be provided by a sixth-generation, family-owned ranch in Glen Rose, Texas, called Hartley Ranch."
Interested food truck operators will need to audition for a spot in the park. The vendors will have freshly made and innovative products, but will not be in competition with each other. Rather, each will offer different flavors to satisfy palates of all types, West said. HUB Streat will also be a dog friendly environment, taking the park to another level for their HUB Dogs, featuring a dog menu and a line of products for dogs. In addition, a social courtyard is planned for music and entertainment.
"We hope to [also] serve draft beers, a lot of Texas beers, margaritas and a variety of seasonal island drinks," West said. "I am excited and humbled to be a part of Plano's downtown revitalization. It is important for us to develop a strong network with local businesses. We want to be a good neighbor."
Upon casting his vote at the March meeting, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ben Harris expressed his excitement over the new concept.
"Can just say how hip we are?" Harris said.
A new trend picking up speed across the country is about to drive in to Plano.
At a regular meeting March 17, the City Council approved the rezoning of 1.6 acres of land at the southwest corner of 14th Street and M Avenue for a new food truck park similar to The Truck Yard in Dallas. The new concept park will be called HUB Streat Food Port and will include a variety of seasonal foods, live entertainment and a full-service restaurant.
HUB Streat Food Port plans to be open by the fall.
Commercial real estate agent and longtime Plano resident Paul Vernon worked with HUB Streat founder James West to find the location. West, a Texas native, and Robert Aitken, a Philadelphia entrepreneur, created the concept for HUB Streat Food Port. Both founders also own award-winning restaurants and gourmet food trucks in the Philadelphia area.
"Being from Plano, I was excited about the idea and actually helped find the site. With all of the growth in downtown Plano, we felt the timing was right," Vernon said.
The Plano Planning and Zoning Department made regulations as easy as possible for the park developers, according to Eric Hill, development review manager for the city of Plano. Department officials worked on the design from an urban planning perspective to make sure the park draws activity, Hill said.
"We approved food trucks to be allowed back in January 2014 in hopes that someone would bring this in. It is a hot and trendy topic right now, and brings a new fast-casual dining option to the downtown area," Hill said. "It was important [to the city] that the food trucks are lined on the street to draw interest from the public."
Anchored by a full-service restaurant made from repurposed shipping containers, the park will host a minimum of two and no more than three mobile gourmet food trucks. In addition to other options, the park will include Joe Spuds, which will serve burgers, homemade fries, and onion rings with creative topping options such as brisket and sauted vegetables, West said.
"Our goal is to make sure trucks at our park are successful. If they aren't, [truck operators] won't want to come back," he said. "The high-quality beef for the burgers will be provided by a sixth-generation, family-owned ranch in Glen Rose, Texas, called Hartley Ranch."
Interested food truck operators will need to audition for a spot in the park. The vendors will have freshly made and innovative products, but will not be in competition with each other. Rather, each will offer different flavors to satisfy palates of all types, West said. HUB Streat will also be a dog friendly environment, taking the park to another level for their HUB Dogs, featuring a dog menu and a line of products for dogs. In addition, a social courtyard is planned for music and entertainment.
"We hope to [also] serve draft beers, a lot of Texas beers, margaritas and a variety of seasonal island drinks," West said. "I am excited and humbled to be a part of Plano's downtown revitalization. It is important for us to develop a strong network with local businesses. We want to be a good neighbor."
Upon casting his vote at the March meeting, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ben Harris expressed his excitement over the new concept.
"Can just say how hip we are?" Harris said.
