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Coquitlam's food truck trial starts at Town Centre Park

Ice cream, donuts and Japadog will make appearances over the summer
A variety of food trucks are lined up for TCP Eats, a city of Coquitlam pilot project to see if there's demand for food trucks in Town Centre Park.

Food trucks have started popping up at Coquitlam's Town Centre Park and more could be on the way this weekend.

The initiative is part of TCP Eats, a pilot project aimed at creating a food hub in in the city's busiest park.

"We are hoping people will come and check it out," said Kathleen Reinheimer, Coquitlam's manager of parks. "We want more people thinking 'I am in the park, is there something there I can grab for lunch.'"

Port Moody's Rocky Point Ice Cream intends to have a truck operating in the park every day (weather depending) for the next few months while other approved vendors include Cannoli King, Vick and Jas's Kitchen, Japadog, Tornado Potatoes, Hugs by Mollies, Come Arepa, JerkShack and BC Taco. The carts will set up in Lot D off of Trevor Wingrove Way.

While the food trucks will not commit to being in the park during specific times, they are active on social media and good at letting their customers know when and where they will be, Reinheimer said.

"A part of the challenge is [food trucks] need to have a fairly solid crowd to have enough business to justify their time," she said. "We are trying to figure out how we can fit into their down time so on a nice sunny day, they know they can come here if the weather is decent."

She added that the city will collect market data and gauge the community's interest in having more food options at Town Centre Park, likely reporting back to council at the end of the year.

Several food trucks have already made their way to the park and new vendors interested in the location are encouraged to contact the city. Reinheimer said the program gives businesses as much flexibility as possible, allowing a licensed truck to operate in the park anytime between dawn and 11 p.m.

"We didn't want to give them any limitations," she said. "If someone has a breakfast sandwich cart, they could be there every morning."

The city is also trying to avoid duplicating menus. Reinheimer said it has already turned down a mini-donut vendor because another one, Hugs by Mollies, had already been approved.

Food trucks interested in operating at Town Centre this summer can find more information on how to apply for a licence at coquitlam.ca/tcpeats.

gmckenna@tricitynews.com

@gmckennaTC