There’s a new food truck park in Houston that highlights Black-owned restaurants.
Houston Grub Park is located at 1615 South Loop West and is the brainchild of the Black Service Chamber: an organization that works hard to promote the Black-owned business scene in the city.
“People were trying to support Black-owned restaurants here, but they are scattered across the city, so we decided to bring them all to one centralized location right across from NRG Stadium where the Texans play,” Christoper Bush, the director of the park, told Travel Noire.
Since opening day on July, 24, Bush says he’s been emotionally overwhelmed by the support the park is receiving from the community.
“Most concepts in business don’t work, but on opening day, almost everyone sold out of food,” Bush said. “Then the next Saturday, the same thing. These food truck owners are trying to keep up but the demand for their product, who they are combined with where they are, many are having trouble doing so. Even our smallest trucks are on pace to do over $25,000 a month … I’m just super proud of that.”
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There are at least 30 food trucks in the park offering a variety of cuisines including barbecue, Asian fusion, desserts, and more. Food trucks include Tap Kitchen Habatchi, a spot that focuses on Asian-inspired Southern food cooked on a hibachi grill, Mississippi’s World Famous Grill, Rollie’s Frozen Custard, Cravin Poor Boys, and Gelu Italian Ice & Bar.
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Houston Grub Park is currently located in a temporary spot at the former’s Sam’s Club lot, but Bush says he hopes they will find a permanent home in the future.
“There were some challenges because we built a city out of the concrete. The reason we did it that way was the parking. We needed really good parking, so we took a former Sam’s Club parking lot and put it together. So, if we can find similar parking where we can get some logistical things in place like grease traps, and we’re having to bring power there through two 100-kilowatt generators. We’re definitely on the search for a permanent location within a five-mile radius and have an easier, more functioning operation that’s not so expensive to run.”
The food truck park will be open from Thursdays through Sundays. For more information and the most up-to-date list of food trucks, visit the website.
