Izard Food Park Provides Place for Food Trucks

Edward Bailey, a broker at Flake & Kelley Commercial, and his friend Thomas Edwards are seeking to take advantage of the food truck trend with the opening of the Izard Food Park at the southeast corner of Izard and Third streets.

Bailey and Edwards got the idea to “centralize the food trucks in the area so people don’t have to guess where they are every day” from a visit to Austin, Texas, Bailey told Whispers.

The pair gave a free trial to several food trucks, including the Waffle Wagon and the Southern Gourmasian. Food trucks don’t want to sign a month’s lease, preferring to rent by particular days of the week — for example, Mondays and Wednesdays, Bailey said.

“So that’s been a learning experience, trying to structure a schedule with these guys,” but he and Edwards have come to the conclusion that charging $30 a day is a reasonable tariff.

“We look at ourselves as more like a partner with these food trucks,” Bailey said. “We’re willing to negotiate with them.”

The space provides electricity if the food truck wants it, but the trucks need to bring their own water.

The food truck park first got up and running in November, Bailey said. “Right now we’re experiencing a lot more activity,” he said. “It’s been picking up as of late.”

The partners are looking to increase the number of food trucks congregating at the park and have had an inquiry from a food purveyor offering the “paleo diet.”

With a tight budget, Bailey and Edwards are counting on word of mouth to spread the news of the park’s availability.