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In our quest to keep our readers up to date with the latest stories relating to the food truck industry has compiled a list of the stories that hit the wire this weekend from Dallas, Santa Ana, Charlotte, Durham, Atlanta and Martinez.

July 13

New food truck park off I-35E in Dallas opens mid-August – DALLAS, TX – A new food truck park in Dallas is opening in the business district near Mockingbird Lane and I-35E. Called Ambassador Row Food Truck Park, the trucks will serve from a grassy area in front of a building owned by U.S. Food Trucks.

Inside U.S. Food Truck’s building is a commissary for on-the-roll chefs. So it made sense to set up a lunch and dinner spot right outside, said Michael Rangel, president of U.S. Food Trucks. The park will have four to six food trucks at a time and will serve lunch Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The facility will open the third week in August.

Find the entire article <here>

California’s Food Truck Shakedown – Santa Ana, CA – We would all laugh at a man who, sinking in millions of dollars in house payments, car loans, and credit card bills, decided to fix his problem by looking for spare quarters lurking behind the cushions of his sofas.

Likewise, we should shake our heads at the way the state of California—with a budget deficit approaching $16 billion and hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded pension and retiree medical benefits—is stepping up tax collection to help plug a hole caused by its chronic overspending.

On Tuesday, I met in Santa Ana with about 12 owners of catering trucks—those mobile restaurants that sell mostly Mexican food—and they told a disturbing tale of how the state’s Orwellian-named tax agency, the Board of Equalization, is targeting and mistreating them. The people assembled in the room blamed state tax authorities more than the economy for their tough times.

Find the entire article <here>

July 14

Food Trucks Get Hungry For The DNC – CHARLOTTE, NC – Large crowds will converge on Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention. Many will need a quick dining option between events; local food trucks are prepping their menus and heating up their grills, hoping for a piece of the action.

Brian Seeley has been running the Herban Legend food truck and sizzling up his menu for the last year, “Arabic shwarma…it’s a chicken pita with tzatziki sauce and tabouleh.”

The Herban Legend has attracted a following that can’t get enough of its tasty options. Reed Carlson is one of his usual customers. He says the food is affordable and delicious, “You get a great meal, it’s fresh, it’s juicy and that’s all you want with a burger.”

Find the entire article <here>

Future of food trucks in question – DURHAM, NC – Where else can you find sausage, dumplings, ice cream, and pizza all in one place?

Saturday in Durham at the Food Truck Mashup.

The mashup is a gathering of several local food trucks all parked in one centralized location for patrons to come and enjoy a sampling of everything.

Find the entire article <here>

July 15

Atlanta Street Food Festival successful, with a few kinks – ATLANTA, GA – Yesterday was the first Atlanta Street Food Festival. And while most visitors seemed to really enjoy the event at Piedmont Park, Midtown Atlanta, like most first things, it had a few issues.

The festival, hosted by Enchanted Events of Atlanta, brought together some of the best, new food trucks in the ATL. Despite forecasts of scattered thunderstorms, the rain mostly held off. Temperatures were in the low 90’s. While that’s toasty, it is better than the 100F+ temperatures of just a couple weeks ago. Lots of food trucks to choose from, plus specialty tents, vendors and live music.

Find the entire article <here>

Food Truck Trend Reaches All – MARTINEZ, CA – Free fresh fruits and vegetables will soon be distributed from a mobile “food truck,” rotating among three Martinez locations. Up to six times a month, any resident who needs help keeping nutritious food on the table can pull up to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano’s new mobile community produce program and take their fill.

Instead of hawking pricey asian fusion tacos or gourmet cupcakes, Food Bank employees staffing the food truck will be handing out fruits and vegetables such as celery, carrots, onions, oranges, melons and potatoes from bins lining the inside of a converted beverage delivery truck.

Find the entire article <here>