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On a recent cold lunch time in Vintage Park Business Center, people were waiting in their cars to get crepes or hamburgers. In a large open space between two office building and senior centre, two food trucks sat by the frame made of wood that could become an enclosed seating space.
April Sapp walked over from the close Jordan Creek Family Health Care office. She picked up a cheeseburger and Gyro sandwiches from one of the trucks.
“I’m super happy over this.” she declared.
Prior to this, she would have to go to a nearby supermarket to eat lunch.
“Now we walk,” Sapp said.
The brand new food truck park was opened in the month of April. It’s located in the Mendenhall Valley, miles away from the docks for cruise ships downtown. A lot of Juneau restaurants are dependent on summer visitors which means there are fewer alternatives for locals during the winter.
A truck called Alaskan Crepe Escape, is more well-known for its delicious and sweet crepes at a downtown stand during the season of cruises. The the owner Madelynne McKeown said things are very different from the valley. In addition, there are regulars.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”We’re becoming aware and figuring out that these people will be similar to the people we meet. This is really exciting because we can get to get to know them better and get to know more people and other stuff,” she said.
The park will be offering many more options to choose from including the taco truck, a food truck featuring Filipino food as well as a wine and beer cart. By opening their doors during winter and just 9 miles from downtown, each of these businesses is making a risk.
Brian Holst, with the Juneau Economic Development Council, said that the city’s restaurants usually depend heavily on summer visitors to survive.
It’s a style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Most of them will say that it’s more difficult to meet the necessities in winter,” he said. “And the ones that are particularly the ones in downtown areas and areas that are frequented by tourists will make the bulk of their earnings during summer, so that they can survive during the winter .”
It’s the same for Pucker Wilson’s Burgers, which is served out of two food trucks in purple located in downtown which closes during the off-season, and another in the valley that is all year. However, its owner Chad Edwards said staying open during winter isn’t simple.
span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Operating costs for us are significantly more costly in winter months, and our revenue is less. I’m not able find a method to get around this,” Edwards said. “That’s the way things are .”
Edwards”biggest concern,” the man said was keeping his staff members around.
— style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”You have to be able to pay your staff effectively,” he said. “And you have to keep active. If not, you’ll have people sitting around in literal sense, like a 40-degree room and are running out of things to do and are contemplating where they’d prefer to be somewhere elseas if they were anywhere else that is, ?”
McKeown’s dad, Marty runs the restaurant park. He says he hopes the location will mean food truck employees aren’t sat in a crowded area. He believes it’s filling the need for office workers and health workers working in the senior center and the newly constructed SouthEast Regional Health Consortium campus.
It’s a good thing. style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”We don’t have food here,” McKeown said. “Everybody’s been saying they’re extremely happy to have more choices within this valley .”
Another truck that is located in the park is called Devil’s Hideaway, a restaurant serving burgers and wings which was once part from Squirez Bar in Auke Bay. The owner Anthony Kanouse said he likes the idea of catering to regular customers.
“I’ve never dreamed of be downtown during summer because it’s seeking to create something original to mass production,” he said.
However, will it be successful? Holst is a member of his position with the Juneau Economic Development Council believes that the model of food trucks -that lets a variety of food outlets start at a cost less expensive than traditional restaurants -can increase the chances.
Holst stated that the legislative staffwho visit town from January through May — could be a potential source of revenue for the park since they’re more likely to spend their time and funds on the valley. In the past, ten or fifteen years ago, he claimed the majority of them stayed in downtown.
“I am confident Juneauites will realize that they’ll have variety of choices, and they’ll have a lot of work to do,” He said.
Madelynne McKeown says she can see another advantage of the park that is open all year round. It helps keep employees.
“I was surrounded by numerous girls that I thought”I’m in need of a different place for them to work the hours they require. So I’m very excited about it especially in the summer time, since I’ll be able make sure that everyone is on staff and I’ll be able to get more retention,” she said.
Marty McKeown said the winter opening was not planned The contractor that he employed was busy throughout the summer. He’s heard that the people are pleased about the new food trucks park thus far.
