With winter heading out the back door and spring on the way in, The Park – Redding’s Food Truck Hub is gussying up the popular food truck court to open for its eighth season in downtown Redding.
For the first time this year, food truck park developer Todd Franklin said, the outdoor food and live local music venue will open seven days a week.
The expansion came after Franklin heard from regulars who said they wanted him to extend the hours of the family-friendly gathering spot, which is typically only open on weekends.
“When I’m around town, people will often say, ‘Todd, we love The Park, but my husband is a California Highway Patrol officer and works the weekend shift,’ or ‘I’m a nurse at the hospital and I work all weekend. Is there any chance you would open up more than just those three days?'”
Starting this year, the collection of food trucks and an entertainment stage will be open seven days a week: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
Franklin said he’s testing out the seven-day-a-week hours in March, April and May and will then plans to “look at making adjustments after that, based on people’s interest.”
Franklin said new food trucks readying to take the stage this year include Mobile Munchies530, which says it offers “American-fusion eats.” Other new food truck offerings this season include Crowell’s Catering and Custom Cooking and Mr. Potato Man, known for its baked potatoes that sport meatballs or stir-fried chicken, among other toppings.
The food truck park is licensed for up to seven restaurants on wheels, with different ones selling their dishes on any given day. About 21 different food trucks want to rotate through this year, said Franklin, including Super Burrito, Mobile Munchies, Holy Crepe, Granny’s Grill and The Corn Dog Co., which Franklin owns.
Several of the eateries-on-wheels that cycled through The Park last summer also have physical restaurant locations, including Anthony’s Mediterranean Bar & Grill near downtown and Mosaic Restaurant, which also has a permanent location near the Redding Sundial Bridge.
The Park food truck court, at 1552 Placer St,. sits in what was the once-dodgy Carnegie Park near the railroad tracks. Carnegie Park had a history of being a magnet for crime and unwelcome campers.
“My whole thing is improving downtown, focus on community safety and giving the people a place to go hang out,” Franklin said. “That’s the big thing the people of Redding want is a hang-out spot,” Franklin told the Redding City Council in 2018 about his revitalization plans for the area.
The Park now features food trucks, seating tables, grassy areas and a large lighted performance stage, where dance band HOOK will perform on opening night on Friday, Feb. 27 at about 6 p.m.
Franklin said he wants to bring a weekly movie night at the venue. He said he and officials from the city of Redding are working “to come up with an approved ‘dance floor’ that is economical and also Park friendly.”
Other bands on the roster set to perform during free concerts during the season include Mumblefinger, Jinx and Walkabout Blues, according to the food park’s website. Franklin said that at last count, there were about 108 free concerts scheduled during the season.
Look for The Park to add different types of acts, Franklin said, now that the venue will be open seven days a week.
Franklin indicated there’s likely room for both The Park outdoor venue and the Redding Public Market, an enclosed 16,000-square-foot dining center that opened downtown in November on Market Street and features a mix of restaurants, local vendors and a grocery market.
“The Public Market definitely has been impactful in bringing more people downtown,” he said. “When I go there, people are saying, ‘Todd, please open up, our kids need to run around.'”
Michele Chandler covers dining, food, public safety and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding’s The Park food truck hub soon extending hours
Reporting by Michele Chandler, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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