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The cool winter breeze brings to life the laughter of children as they gallop about, eagerly licking the vanilla frosting off of their cupcakes. The full-mouthed murmurs of families and college students alike accompany the sound of laughter to compose a joyous feeling of community brought together by the delectable delicacies before them.  A small, paved lot has been transformed into a beautiful background for the bringing together of friends and families all around Fort Worth. Large trees line the perimeter of the area, no larger than a Starbucks, while rows of picnic tables fill the square along with the smiling faces of both the young and the old. Many of the benches hold satisfied customers, leaving their evidence in the form of empty paper plates before them. Bright green, yellow, red, and blue trucks—similar to UPS trucks but much more pleasing to the eye—creates a square around the sides of the picnic space. The scent of grilling meat and spices collides with the crisp air. The large outside space heaters warm patrons as they sip on organic hot cocoa and chomp down on hot dogs topped with potato chips at the only place in the city these two items would ever exist together—the Fort Worth Food Park.  

Fort Worth is known for many things, but food trucks are not anywhere on this list—yet. Affectionately named “Cowtown,” the city is home to the world’s largest honky tonk, Billy Bob’s, as well as the Fort Worth Stockyards. People wearing cowboy hats and horses can often be seen strolling throughout the city—a scene straight out of an old western. If one searches past the spurs and southern drawl, however, he or she might find that Fort Worth is slowly edging its way into a different kind of scene.

Home to Texas Christian University, Fort Worth has begun to embrace the student population as well as the young professionals choosing to stay in the area post-graduation. The city has done so by expanding the downtown area into what is known as the “West 7th” side of town. This area, equipped with sophisticated bars, laid-back eateries, a movie theater, urban housing, and even a high-class bowling alley, is quickly becoming a popular destination for the young adults in the area looking for something new, as well as local families looking for a change. While much of these changes to the Fort Worth entertainment and food scene have been very public—with billboards and signs advertising upcoming companies months in advance—many are unaware of an up-and-coming trend. Just blocks away from the fast-paced commotion of the newly developed 7th Street area, nestled behind Montgomery Plaza and hidden from the rest of the world, is the Fort Worth Food Park. Holding anywhere from four to six food trucks at one time, the food park is a playground for those looking for great food at a reasonable price from a variety of areas around the globe.

Food trucks have a long history and a troubled past. After the Civil War, many Americans began to move westward which created a variety of resources like beef from Texas, which before had not been as plentiful. Cattle herding became essential to live, particularly in the Panhandle, as beef became a primary source of income and dinner. This posed a problem, however, as men would need to travel long distances without food in order to herd cattle across Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The solution was the chuck wagon, a mobile eatery that traveled alongside the herders and provided them with sustenance throughout their difficult journey. In the late 1950s, canteens hit the moving cuisine scene and, authorized by the U.S. Army, were stationed on military bases. The original food trucks began to emerge soon after, offering cheap, greasy food to construction workers and other blue-collar professions. Today, these food trucks have morphed into fine cuisine on wheels. After being laid off due to the recent recession, many experienced chefs have seized the opportunity to become a part of this trend. From New York to Chicago to L.A, cities for which food trucks are known, one of the most notable food truck cities is Austin. It was there that Fort Worth Food Park owner, Chris Kruger, got his inspiration.

Kruger loved the South Congress food trucks of Austin so much that he thought about starting up his own. With no real restaurant experience, however, he devised a different plan.

“We weren’t super-comfortable with doing a food truck, but I did feel comfortable doing a food court, like in Austin,” Kruger said. “I think it’s a good business opportunity and it’s fun. We want to promote the food truck culture that’s developing in Fort Worth.”

On December 2, 2011, Kruger opened the Fort Worth Food Park in between two industrial buildings on 2509 Weisenberger Street. Hidden away from the busy West 7th area and located in the middle of an avenue filled with warehouses, many have questioned Kruger’s location decision. However, upon approaching the property, the choice becomes obvious. Since the food trucks line all sides of the park, they hide any surrounding buildings and the remoteness allows for few distractions for couples, friends, and families to get away. Although some food trucks were already present in Fort Worth before the food park, it is the sense of community that was lacking that Kruger wanted to create.

“My wife and I loved that food trucks were beginning to come to Fort Worth, but I thought it would be really nice to be able to sample a number of food trucks in one location rather than trying to track them down all the time” explains Kruger. After noticing the growing trend of a food truck community in cities such as Austin, Portland and Los Angeles, he wanted to bring the same idea to Fort Worth. “Luckily, the City of Fort Worth has worked with me as I moved forward in bringing this idea to fruition."

Not only do the customers seem to enjoy the feeling of community that is created by the Fort Worth Food Park, so do the truck owners. Never before did food trucks peacefully coexist in Fort Worth, working together in such a competitive field.

“A truly great experience was visiting with all the truck owners,” said Megan Topham, Good Karma Kitchen co-owner and University of Texas at Arlington alum. “We all exchanged food and really got a chance to know one another outside of just chatting through social media. As much as the park is a social and family gathering place for everyone in the community, it’s also an incredible place for food truck owners to gather, socialize and support one another.”

“Good Karma Kitchen” is one of the most common trucks at the ever-changing Fort Worth Food Park. Boasting gourmet, gluten-free, vegetarian items such as spicy Asian lettuce wraps, Good Karma Kitchen is frequented by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. While this may seem a surprising choice of menu for a food truck, typically thought of as selling greasy processed foods, it was the natural choice for co-owner Megan Topham, who is both a vegetarian and gluten intolerant. In early 2010, Topham discovered her gluten allergy after years of undiagnosed symptoms, and after discovering that  most gluten-free vegetarian products were tasteless and of poor nutritional value, she decided to team up with Executive Chef Christina MacMicken to “create healthy gluten-free vegetarian recipes with a focus on taste and texture quality.” Since then, the pair has been providing healthy meal options to locals not looking to skimp on flavor. With an ever-changing menu, patrons are not likely to get bored with the food represented by Good Karma Kitchen and others at the food park.

“Going out with a group of people can sometimes be hard to find something that everyone will like,” she said. “The park gives you tons of options so everyone can find something they want” said Topham.

Sara Alderman, a Texas Christian University senior and future businesswoman, sits with me at the end of one of the many picnic tables under a heater, hoping to stay warm on this breezy evening. As she finishes munching on her hot dog from “The Weiner Man,” interestingly entitled “The Crunch” and composed of bacon, sharp cheddar, mustard and- wait for it- potato chips, she explains to me why she enjoys the Fort Worth Food Park so much.

“I really like the atmosphere and variety of food in one place” she explains. “It’s the perfect place to go to unwind from a long day at work or when you want to hang out with your friends.”

The Fort Worth Food Park is open Thursday and Friday from 11am- 2pm and 5-10pm, as well as Saturday from 11am-10pm and Sunday from 10am-8pm. Although I meet with Sara on a chilly Sunday night just before close, there is still a large crowd of customers looking for quick and delicious food.

“I really love it here,” Sara says “but I think they are going to need a bigger space!