Starting next week, Cincinnati is getting its first food truck park, called The Cove, in the city's East End neighborhood.
The parking lot at 4601 Kellogg Ave. owned by Rivertowne Marina was formerly occupied by a boat retailer. Now it will host as many as 10 trucks selling everything from barbecue to burritos to desserts, as well as an outdoor bar and stage eventually. An indoor restroom facility will also be available.
The Queen City Mobile Food Truck Association helped cook up the idea, and Cincinnati City Council member P.G. Sittenfeld helped convene the meetings necessary to make it happen. Back in January, Sittenfeld visited Austin, Texas, where the thriving food truck scene there includes seven food truck parks. That inspired Sittenfeld to push for something similar in Cincinnati.
Sittenfeld points out that the park doesn't need any city money, is located in a place that won't compete with urban core mainstays like Findlay Market and Over-the-Rhine's restaurant scene and will provide expanded opportunity for restaurant entrepreneurs to start or grow their businesses.
On Twitter, Sittenfeld offered to take four Cincinnati residents who tweet him their favorite food truck out to dinner at the park on May 7.
"Grateful to the food truck leaders & vendors who bought into the vision," he tweeted after the announcement. "I think it's a very cool location, and can't wait to be a regular visitor."
Any of Greater Cincinnati's 140 registered food trucks will be able to reserve a space at the park using the app Street Food Finder, which also allows potential customers to see where food trucks are on any given day.
The park's grand opening will be Friday, May 3. It will be open during the warm months of the year from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
