Could a food truck lot bring the same energy and excitement it’s generated on East Front Street to the city’s struggling Eighth Street corridor?

Traverse City resident Scott Pierson is about to find out. Along with his wife Erica, Pierson is converting the vacant lot between Twin Bay Glass and Wellington Street into a food truck lot for the summer. Pierson has leased the entire parcel from Blarney Castle, and is in the process of installing power and other infrastructure to accommodate up to eight food trucks for the season.

“We’ll be dividing the lot in half, with parking on one side and food trucks on the other side,” Pierson tells The Ticker. “We’ll be putting in picnic tables and putting up posts with lights. It’ll be like a mini courtyard, with the trucks surrounding it.”

Pierson has already lined up six food trucks to set up shop at The Lot, as it’s called, with two more trucks in talks to join. Confirmed tenants include Betty’s Hot Dish, Cordwood BBQ, Wingz & Thingz, Uptown Dogs, Norma’s Tamales, and La Tropicana Fruit Cup. Trucks will start rolling in over the next week, says Pierson, with the goal of getting The Lot fully up and running by mid-May.

The timing is auspicious for the city, which is hosting a week-long public charrette process May 16-20 to envision new design concepts for the Eighth Street corridor. The charrette will result in a detailed plan for the street – set to be reconstructed in 2018 – as well as surrounding properties. City Planning Director Russ Soyring says a food truck lot could help build excitement for the charrette and “show the promise Eighth Street has for becoming a lively, fun, mixed-use commercial district.”

“(The corridor) has the opportunity to be so much more than it is today,” says Soyring. “To add energy and life to a very dead corner like this is an exciting concept. It could help people think differently about Eighth Street…and possibly spark some other ideas.”

Pierson, who lives in nearby Midtown, says he and Erica attended the first Envision 8th meeting on April 20. The couple both hold day jobs and are otherwise unconnected to the food service industry, but see The Lot as a way they “can get involved and change things up” in their neighborhood.

“We’re impatient, because we don’t want to envision Eighth Street in 2018,” Pierson says. “We want to envision it in 2016. I drive by that eyesore (vacant lot) every day. Instead of just talking about it, why not try to do something?”

In Other Restaurant News…
Several more dining establishments are also opening their doors this summer in Traverse City. Downtown, Adrienne Brunette and John Larson are aiming to open taquería Mama Lu’s at 149 East Front Street the second week of May. “The only thing that’s holding us up is our liquor license, so we’re probably going to open without it,” says Brunette, adding that the restaurant will feature a full-service bar as soon as the license comes through. The eatery will feature al-pastor tacos, freshly made tortillas, housemade guacamole and other authentic Mexican sides and appetizers.

Across the street at 136 East Front Street, Harvest owner Simon Joseph hopes to open new Japanese ramen shop Gaijin in the “beginning of June.” The 45-50 seat restaurant will focus on traditional ramen, as well as as dishes such as dumplings and bao buns, plus a beverage menu highlighting saké and Japanese beer and whiskey. Joseph plans to source his ramen noodles starting out, but says he’s imported a noodle machine and will switch to making his own noodles in-house using local flour in the coming weeks.

Two more local restaurateurs point to permit and construction challenges for their delayed opening dates, but say they’re on track to open this summer. Apache Trout Grill owners Mike and Sheila Connors are targeting an early June opening of their new eatery The West End Tavern, located in the former Harbor 22 building overlooking Harbor West Marina on West Bay Shore Drive. The restaurant will be a “classic neighborhood tavern” featuring some popular Apache items as well as its own unique menu, including wood-fired pizzas and a full-service bar.

Joe Lopez, who’s opening a new Traverse City Denny’s franchise with partner Rusty Darin at 878 Munson Avenue, says he’s had to put building renovations on hold while the duo worked through local permitting issues. “All the permits should be finalized before the end of next week,” say Lopez, “then we can go.” The owner says a crew is already in place locally for the renovation project, with an opening date set to follow “a month or two” after construction begins.