This may be the one time people want trucks to come rolling into town.
The New Westminster Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) is considering putting together a food truck festival this summer in downtown New Westminster, executive director Kendra Johnston told The Record.
"We hope to explore venue options with the city, and nail down some dates ASAP," Johnston wrote in an email. "This is the kind of event that not only local community is crying out for, but will draw crowds from all over Metro Vancouver, really showcasing our downtown area and what it has to offer. Columbia Street is a no-brainer venue with easy and safe access via our two SkyTrain stations."
On its Facebook page, the Improvement Area posted the question: "Would you come to a food truck festival on Columbia Street this summer (sic)" and garnered a significant amount of positive interest after it was posted.
The BIA wants to invite about 15 well-known food trucks, including the New Westminster-based Re-Up BBQ and others such as Japadog, Roaming Dragon and TacoFino, to set up shop for a day on Columbia Street, and pair the foodie experience with live entertainment and possibly beer gardens, according to Johnston.
Re-Up owner Michael Kaisaris, who operates restaurants at the River Market in New Westminster and a food cart in Vancouver, would love to see a festival come to the city. It's something the Re-Up crew was calling for.
"We are glad someone was listening," he said.
"We are hoping we can be involved in it," said Kaisaris, who, along with his wife, Lindsay, was part of the group that formed the Street Food Vancouver Society, a group of food cart operators.
Kaisaris said the Front Street parkade, either underneath or on top, may be one spot to hold the food truck festival, but he's not holding firm on any one location.
"We'd be happy to do it anywhere," he said.
Kaisaris thinks the festival could be a success, and cited the food truck festival that was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery in conjunction with the Dine Out as an example of a similar event.
"And it's been fabulously successful," he said.
He also mentioned the popularity of the food cart gathering at the Waldorf Hotel on Hastings Street in Vancouver, which is no longer running because of the falling out between the management and the Waldorf building owner.
"We feel like it becomes an attraction on its own when you have a whole bunch of carts there," he said.
Kaisaris said the event would attract New Westminster residents, as well as neighbouring Burnaby and Coquitlam residents, who might not readily be able to get out to the Vancouver-based food carts.
Twitter/nikimhope
