Port of Tacoma’s big spring shipment: local food trucks for lunch
Nearly 15,000 workers come through the Port of Tacoma every day, but there are approximately zero places for them to eat — at least not without crossing Route 509.
This spring, the Port hopes to test whether mobile food vendors can be part of solving the daily lunchtime conundrum.
On Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., a food truck will park outside the port administration building at 1 Sitcum Way, starting with Just A Pizza My Mind on March 15. This new addition to Pierce County’s food truck scene is run by a young couple who traveled the country to develop recipes for out-there pies ($18) like the Krusty Krab topped with your usual burger accouterments and Nana’s CBD with ranch, chicken, bacon and dill pickles. Pizzas emerge from a wood-fired oven on-board their vibrantly colored vehicle.
The following week, March 22, Lumpia Love will serve Filipino favorites including the namesake ($6 for 3 or $18 for 10), pancit, chicken adobo and sio pao with BBQ pork or longanisa (most dishes $6-$10).
Tacos Mirrey, which tends to sell out when parked at local breweries, including Sumner’s Top Down Brewing and Puyallup’s Fierce County Cider, will be the feature on March 29. The menu focuses on premium-meat tacos ($5-$8) on homemade tortillas, such as the ribeye with marinated peppers and cucumber relish, and street-style ($4-$4.50) with pastor, cochinita pibil or chorizo.
Starvin Marvin, known for its array of hot dogs ($5.50-$8.50) — Chicago-style, Seattle, Coney Island and more — and sides including salted small potatoes and mac and cheese, will serve on April 5 and April 19.
Port staff partnered with the Washington State Food Truck Association after “receiving several inquiries from food truck operators interested in serving Port employees and nearby businesses in the Tideflats,” said Port of Tacoma communications director Carol Bua in an email.
The food truck group, which has hundreds of members and advocates for mobile-food policies at the state and local level, helped coordinate scheduling with the small businesses.
A plan to also bring trucks on Tuesdays to the Fabulich Center, on the other side of Route 509 at 3600 Port of Tacoma Road, is on hold for now, said Bua.
“The initial trial period is for three months to see if business in these locations is viable for the vendors,” she added. “We are all excited to see the response!”
Rules for mobile-food vending vary wildly at the local level, down to complete prohibitions, but being invited to a public or private place with a built-in audience is essential to the success of these small businesses. In municipalities where they are permitted, operators are required to have not only a health department license in every county they wish to serve but also city business licenses and sometimes special-use permits and parking permits.
Look for additions to the Wednesday food truck list at the Port of Tacoma on StreetFoodFinder, where you can also view menus and place online orders.
FOOD TRUCKS AT PORT OF TACOMA
▪ When: Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
▪ Where: Port Administration Building, 1 Sitcum Way
▪ Details: rotating food trucks, updated schedule at streetfoodfinder.com/PortofTacomaAdmin
