A new food trailer court is slated to open on Barton Springs Road in March, creating a new home for well-known mobile food vendors such as The Mighty Cone, Turf N Surf Po’Boy and Ms. P’s Electric Cock.
The Picnic, as it's to be named, will occupy one-third of a three acre site between Chuy's and Baby Acapulco where the Manor Mobile RV Park used to be. The other two thirds of the site is being developed as the Coldwater Luxury Apartments.
Unlike some food trailer courts that are located on undeveloped sites while landlords rent space to offset property tax until they can build something on the lot, the Picnic aims to be a long-term facility.
"Ours is heavily loaded with amenities," says Ronnie Brooks, one of the investors in the site. "We are making a substantial capital investment."
The amenities include covered dining pavilions designed by Studio 8 Architects, climate-controlled restrooms, and eighty paved parking spots.
Brooks says he and his business partners have signed leases with eight mobile food vendors. Besides the three mentioned above, they also have deals with Hey Cupcake, Tapas Bravas, The Seedling Truck, Skinny Limits Juice and Hey! You Gonna Eat or What?
The enhanced amenities and prime real estate -- near Zilker Park and the busy foot traffic it brings during the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Blues on the Green, the Trail of Lights and many other events -- means food trucks will face higher rents than they would at an undeveloped lot. Brooks says mobile vendors hope to be able to make up the difference by selling higher volumes of food rather than raising menu prices.
