TURLOCK, Calif. — What is now a quiet corner near Downtown Turlock could soon turn into a unique food destination hoping to draw crowds and feature food trucks and family entertainment options.
Representatives with Torre Reich Construction say their idea for a food truck plaza has been a work in progress for the past six months after seeing success with similar projects in different cities.
The proposed food plaza in Turlock would take the place of a lot near F Street and Center Street, between Center Street and Golden State Boulevard.
“Nearby towns have done these food truck parks, and they've been very prosperous and everybody loves them,” said Jenn Weenk, a project manager with Torre Reich Construction. “We thought why not take that idea and expand on it, and especially being in Turlock, we don't really have anything quite like this at all.”
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Expanding the idea of simply opening a parking lot where food trucks can park led project developers to incorporate more entertainment options for families.
While at the plaza, which project managers hope to call ‘The Trax Food Park’, families can expect to eat appetizers, main dishes, desserts and drinks from several food trucks and be entertained while outdoors.
"The plan started out to build a food truck park with multiple different kinds of food trucks," Weenk said. "We kind of decided it would be really cool to expand on that idea and create a family fun entertainment center, something for the kids and things for the adults."
In addition to an entertainment center and food trucks, the three-acre plaza will also feature a 13,000 square foot indoor commissary and marketplace, an arcade, lawn games, a stage and vendors operating out of shipping containers on site.
"We do plan on using several different shipping containers to host different kinds of vendors, local vendors," Weenk said. "It could be anything from a local barber could rent that space, or somebody wants to sell their homemade goods, kind of like a farmer's market style."
While Weenk says the project has already received some of the necessary permits, they are still far from opening day.
"We were hoping to actually break ground in February, and we didn't even come close to that," Weenk said. "What was supposed to take four to six weeks here and there has taken months, especially since the city shut back down because of COVID again and just various obstacles."
Weenk didn't say when the food plaza may open up or when her construction company may break ground but says when the attraction does open, it will be a local food destination.
"I definitely think it's going to draw people in from nearby towns," Weenk said. "We're just trying to cater to families and make it somewhere where adults and children can enjoy their day at the same time."
