What’s the latest with Lacey’s food truck court? Here’s what council members learned
.jpg "Ruth Weigelt picks up her lunch from the Five-O Island Grindz food truck April 29, 2021 at the City of Lacey’s new Food Truck Depot. Also serving on site was the Funnel of Love food truck, which offered treats ranging from funnel cakes to elephant ears.")
A Lacey City Council committee this week received an update on the Food Trucks at The Depot, a food truck court that opened in April near Lacey Boulevard at Lebanon Street.
Since opening, nine different food trucks have parked at the location, the site has expanded to seven days a week from four days a week and a pop-up market was launched in June, said Wesley Nguyen, the city’s economic development coordinator.
Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder and Councilman Lenny Greenstein were quick to ask questions and offer input.
Ryder inquired whether the site will operate year-round.
That is under discussion, Nguyen said, adding that it will depend on demand and whether the demolition of an adjacent building will become a deterrent to year-round business. The adjacent building, a former carpet business, is owned by the city and is set to become home to the Lacey Museum.
Once demolition is under way, one option is move the trucks to the parking lot across the street on Lebanon, said Community and Economic Development Director Rick Walk.
Ryder also suggested the use of a big tent so that customers can stay dry once rainy season begins.
Greenstein said a tent would be nice, but food trucks can still be successful in the rain, citing the example of Portland, Oregon, where food trucks have flourished.
Greenstein said he has heard a lot of positive comments about the site, but also a couple of recurring negative comments: there’s not enough variety and they run out of food too quickly.
“You get there too late and they are out of food,” he said.
Ryder believes they need more food trucks and it needs to operate 24/7, he said. Despite being mobile, he feels the food truck owners want to stay put.
“They want to stay there and not have to leave,” he said.
As to why they are running out of food, Walk said the operators are preparing food in advance and are trying to estimate how many customers they are going to serve.
Running out of food or supplies could also be the result of a larger issue the restaurant industry is facing during the pandemic. Greenstein pointed out that Van’s Burgers on Yelm Highway had to temporarily close due to a lack of supplies.
Some food truck operators also can’t find workers, said Nguyen, touching on a subject that has been felt by many employers.
Still, there continues to be interest from food truck operators who want to be at the site, including from outside the county, Nguyen said.
