Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Plans are underway to bring a food truck court to West Fourth Street in Salem. Dubbed 4th Street Eats, the goal is to have a location where a rotating roster of food trucks will park to serve patrons.
The effort is being spearheaded by John Johnston, of Savory Ventures Salem, LLC. Johnson and his wife, Dawn, had been looking for a unique approach to retail when they decided to go with the food truck court idea. “So many duplicate retail strips, from coffee shops to fast food restaurants all offering nearly the same product which discourages variety and excludes small businesses beyond franchising. We look for properties that would otherwise go unused where we could offer both small businesses as well as the local community new and exciting options for food and drink,” he said.
Currently, the duo operates a lot near Warrenton, which has seven full-time vendors. “211 eats and Marketplace has been operating for just over a year with huge support from the community,” he said.
The decision to locate one in the Salem/Roanoke market was an easy decision given that Johnston has been looking to move further south from Northern Virginia. “After thorough market research and discussing our idea with the city of Salem we found this location to be a perfect fit. The city has been absolutely wonderful to work with and very welcoming to our plans,” he said.
The court will be open seven days a week, with trucks rotating out depending on their event schedules. “Multiple different trucks/trailers will rotate offering a nice variety. We are planning to have five to six at any one time in addition to a small structure which will be used for local artisans and bakers to offer their products as well as a serving area for local brewers to serve beer on a rotating basis,” Johnston said.
Food truck vendor Brent Bowles, who owns the Troutville-based Big Daddy’s BBQ, is set to serve as the site manager once it opens.
“4th Street Eats brings a new twist to eating out or on the go,” Bowles said. “We will be able to provide different food options by having a diverse range of food trucks at the park and it allows for a more cost-effective operation for food truck owners like myself.”
In preparation for the court, Johnston petitioned for a variance from the city of Salem Zoning Ordinance pertaining to perimeter landscaping standards for parking lots located at the property. The variance was to allow for the food truck court. While the ordinance states that the required landscaped planting strip shall have a minimum width of 8 feet, the request was for a 3-foot variance. The request was heard by the Board of Zoning Appeals for the city of Salem on July 24.
“We are hoping to get started early August and be ready to go by October. Currently a few prospective vendors are stopping in on occasion to spread the word and establish a following,” Johnston said of when it will launch.
Tommy Miller, director of economic development for the city said, “It is exciting to see inspiring foodie entrepreneurs have more opportunities to explore their concepts. This provides more options for the citizens of Salem and the Greater Roanoke Region to have access to new and diverse food trucks and cuisine. We are proud to have the first venture of its kind in the region right here in the Salem Community.”
