Food truck park in planning stages

Nov 16, 2023

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Chill Vibes at CAC's Carnival Day: Creamyleta's Tempting Cremyleta Ice Cream Bars Beat the Heat on August 25th, 2023. With temperatures soaring to 110°F, attendees at Central Arizona College's event find sweet relief as they enjoy a variety of frozen treats from the food trucks, making for a cool and delightful summer experience. [Bryan Mordt]

A permanent home for Maricopa’s food trucks is in the works.

Maricopa-based Verily Enterprises LLC submitted paperwork this month to create a food truck park in the city’s Heritage District.

Dubbed Maricopa Eats, the park would sit on the southwest corner of Honeycutt Road and Plainview Street, currently a vacant half-acre lot. According to the project narrative, it would house a dozen food trucks, picnic tables on artificial turf and a parking lot.

Owner Jose Meza said he wanted to create a “clean and safe environment” for food trucks, particularly amid recent struggles to find space to park and sell food.

In recent months, several food truck owners experienced difficulties establishing a long-term presence in the city. In July, more than a dozen faced eviction from the Fry’s Marketplace parking lot following disputes with the property owner.

Meza hopes the park will resolve some of these issues.

“A lot of [food truck operators] are having issues in certain places, so we want to provide a safe spot for them,” he said. “Something clean, something family-friendly that’s inviting.”

An image of a preliminary site plan for Maricopa Eats, a proposed food truck park on Honeycutt Road and Plainview Street. [Courtesy City of Maricopa]

Meza added he hopes the space will also host farmers markets, craft fairs and other similar community events for the area.

“We just want to provide a positive environment for the families out here,” he said. “I spoke to some of the neighbors, and they’re really excited about it.”

The application has yet to be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.