Abstract:
A food truck park for mobile food trucks provides a destination with a unique atmosphere and improved layout for arranging the food trucks. The food park includes a parking area and a raised pedestrian walkway. The walkway includes extended pier portions that extend into the parking area. The extended pier portions define parking slips for the mobile food trucks. The walkway is raised with respect to the parking area to provide easy access to the service windows of the mobile food trucks. The food truck park may further include electrical hookups for the mobile food trucks.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/209,845 filed on Aug. 25, 2015, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    1. The Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention relates generally to outdoor parks, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to outdoor parks for mobile food trucks. 
         [0005]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0006]    Mobile food trucks have become increasingly popular with the public for providing fast and convenient food. In most cases, mobile food trucks are operator owned and specialize in a particular cuisine. Mobile food trucks may be entirely self-contained with a mobile kitchen that allows food to be prepared onsite. These trucks may include a service window to allow patrons to order and receive food. The service window may be located at the back or the side of the mobile food truck. 
         [0007]    One problem facing mobile food truck operators is finding suitable locations to operate as local jurisdictions often place restrictions on when and where trucks may be parked. Most truck operators rely on unimproved locations to attract pedestrians or local clientele from surrounding businesses. For example, the operators of mobile food trucks often park street-side or onsite at large public or private events. Their have been “food truck roundups” which involve a number of trucks gathering to a common parking lot and attempting to attract people in larger numbers by having multiple trucks for a wider food selection. However, these arrangements are less than desirable as the trucks are noisy with generators and there is no seating and no designed shade for the patrons to enjoy their food. Further, the food trucks often park haphazardly creating a confusing and unaesthetic appearance. In other instances, the food trucks park in a line long a side of a street. Because of the line of trucks stretches over an extended length, 
         [0008]    It would be an advantage over the prior art to provide a dedicated outdoor space for mobile food trucks that provides a unique atmosphere that incorporates the owner operated food trucks but provides innovations that make it an entirely different experience for both the vendors and the patrons. The features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  depicts an outdoor food truck park according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  depicts an outdoor food truck park according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  depicts an outdoor food truck park according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  depicts an outdoor food truck park according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  depicts an outdoor food truck park according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  depicts an outdoor food truck park according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed. 
         [0017]    In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” “having,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. 
         [0018]    As used herein, the term “mobile food truck” includes mobile food trucks, mobile food trailers, and mobile food carts. The mobile food trailers may be one of bumper-pull trailers or fifth-wheel trailers. Like the mobile food trucks, the mobile food trailers and carts are self-contained and include a kitchen area that allows for the preparation of food. The mobile food trailers may further include a service window for serving patrons. 
         [0019]    It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a novel food truck park. The food truck park may include a parking area having a compacted roadway base underlay with a gravel surface. In an embodiment, the compacted roadway base underlay is between five and fifteen inches deep. In an embodiment, the roadway base is about eight inches deep. In an embodiment, the gravel surface is between one inch and ten inches deep. In an embodiment, the gravel surface is about five inches deep. The gravel of the gravel surface may be a dark color, such as black, to facilitate snowmelt. 
         [0020]    It is further an objective of the present disclosure to provide a food truck park with a main patron walkway or boardwalk. In an embodiment, the walkway is formed of a suitable material for forming the walkway as known to one of ordinary skill, including one of concrete, rock, pavers, asphalt and wood. If concrete is used, it may be stained a dark color, such as gray or black, to facilitate snowmelt. In an embodiment, the walkway is tiered and comprises a first tiered portion and a second tiered portion. The first tiered portion is raised with respect to the second tiered portion. The first tiered portion of the walkway is adjacent the food truck parking area. 
         [0021]    It is further an objective of the present disclosure to provide a walkway with pier portions. The pier portions are raised with respect to the parking area for the food trucks. In an embodiment, the pier portions are raised between four inches and twelve inches, or about seven inches with respect to the parking area. The walkway may be straight or curved. The walkway includes a plurality of extended pier portions that define parking slips for the mobile food trucks. The extended pier portions may extend between eight and fifteen feet away from the main walkway. The width of the extended pier portions is between about four and eight feet. The extended pier portions may taper inward as they extend from the main boardwalk. 
         [0022]    In an embodiment, the parking slips are of sufficient width between adjacent ones of the extended portions to receive a single mobile food truck. In an embodiment, the width of the parking stalls is between seven and twelve feet. In an embodiment, the mobile food trucks are either pulled or backed into the parking slips. It will be appreciated that the extended pier portions of the main walkway and the main walkway itself allow patrons to walk on a raised surface beside the mobile food trucks as the mobile food trucks are limited to the lower parking area. 
         [0023]    It is further an objective of the present disclosure to provide a food truck park with grading to facilitate drainage. In an embodiment, the first tiered portion is graded away from the parking area. The second tiered portion may also be graded. The first tiered portion and the second tiered portion may be graded about 2%. In an embodiment, the parking area is graded away from the walkway. In an embodiment, the parking area is graded to about 2%. 
         [0024]    It is further an objective of the present disclosure to provide a food truck park with seating areas for patrons. In an embodiment, the seating areas comprise picnic tables and benches. In an embodiment, the seating areas comprise circular tables. The food park may also comprise benches and grass areas. 
         [0025]    It is further an objective of the present disclosure to provide a food truck park with a plurality of shade structures. The shade structured may be sail-type shade structures. The shade structures may be positioned to maximize shade during particular times of the day, such as when patrons are most likely to visit the food park. In an embodiment, the position of the shade structures may be adjustable to track the movement of the sun throughout the day to maximize shade throughout the day. 
         [0026]    It is further an objective of the present disclosure to provide a food truck park with temporary electrical hookups for the mobile food trucks. In an embodiment, each parking slip comprises an electrical hookup. It will be appreciated that the hookups may provide power such that the food trucks do not need to run their generators. In an embodiment, the electrical hookups provide a 50 amp, 220 volt outlet and/or a 20 amp, 110 volt outlet. Each of the outlets may be protected by a GFI as is known to one of ordinary skill. It will be appreciated that these innovations provide a safer, quieter, and an overall better experience for patrons. 
         [0027]    It is further an objective of the present disclosure to provide a food truck park that is designed to run year round. The grading of the parking area and the walkway and the dark color of the concrete and gravel assists in melting snow and the removal of water from the public area. In an embodiment, each parking slip has a sump filled with gravel. The sump may be disposed in the center of the stall to help absorb the water that will accumulate from large rain and snow falls. In an embodiment, the food park may comprise an area for erecting a large event tent. Gas or electric heaters may be utilized to provide warm seating areas in cold weather. Unit heaters may be utilized to add ambiance as well as give needed heat. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an outdoor food truck park  100  for mobile food trucks  150  is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The park  100  may comprise a parking area  102  having an exit to a roadway. The parking area  102  is configured and adapted to allow the passage of vehicles as will be explained in more detail hereinafter. The parking area  102  may include a top surface formed from any suitable material, including road base, asphalt, cement, and gravel. 
         [0029]    Adjacent the parking area  102  is a pedestrian walkway  110 . In an embodiment, the pedestrian walkway  110  is raised with respect to the level of the parking area  102 . In an embodiment, the walkway  110  is raised between two to ten inches with respect to the parking area  102 . The walkway  110  may be formed of any suitable material, including concrete, asphalt, wood, gravel, rock, pavers and composite material. 
         [0030]    The pedestrian walkway  110  may include a main walkway  112  and a plurality of pier portions  114  that extend into the parking area  102 . In an embodiment, the main walkway  112  may have a generally arcuate shape. In an embodiment, the main walkway  112  may be substantially straight. Each of the pier portions  114  extends from a concave side of the main walkway  112  and terminates at a terminal end  116 . In an embodiment, the length of the pier portions  114 , as measured from the main walkway  112 , may be between ten feet and twenty-five feet. In an embodiment, the pier portions  114  may be between four feet and eight feet wide. The pier portions  114  may taper. Because of the arcuate configuration of the main walkway  112 , the pier portions  114  may be arranged like the spokes on a wheel. 
         [0031]    Adjacent ones of the pier portions  114  define slips  118  for receiving food trucks  150 . As shown, a width of the slips  118  is such that each slip  118  can only receive a single food truck  150 . In an embodiment, the width of the slips  118  is such that each slip  118  can received two food trucks  150 . In an embodiment, a width of each of the slips  118  is between eight feet and twelve feet. In an embodiment, a width of each of the slips  118  is just wide enough to receive a single food truck  150 . In an embodiment, the park  100  may have two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten slips for food trucks. In an embodiment, the park  100  may have ten or more slips for food trucks  150 . 
         [0032]    Located adjacent each of the slips  118  is an electrical hookup  120  that provides a connection to electrical power for food trucks parked in the slips  118 . In an embodiment, each of the electrical hookups  120  provides one or more plugs into which an adjacent food truck  150  can connect to power. In particular, food trucks often require electrical power in order to operate appliances, lights, and air conditioners. In the past, in order to provide power onsite, food trucks utilized on board generators. However, with the electrical hookups  120  provided by the present invention, the food trucks  150  are able to connect directly to power while parked in the slips  118  thereby eliminating the need to operate their on-board generators. It will be appreciated that this innovation reduces the noise and exhaust at the park  100 . 
         [0033]    In an embodiment, each electrical hookup  120  may provide one or more standardized female plugs. The food trucks may connect to power using extension cords that extend between the electrical hookups and the trucks. In an embodiment, the electrical hookups  120  may provide 30 amps or 50 amps of current. Each electrical hookup  120  may be protected by a circuit breaker. A main electrical power supply  122  may distribute power from a public electrical power grid to each of the electrical hookups  120 . In an embodiment, the main electrical power supply  122  may distribute power from a large generator to each of the electrical hookups  120 . 
         [0034]    Located along the walkway  110  may be benches  130  and tables  132 . In addition, the park  100  may further include shade devices for providing shade to the benches  130  and tables  132 . The shade devices may include umbrellas, canopies, netting, shade fabric, or any other type of structure capable of providing shade. In an embodiment, the shade devices are manually or automatically adjustable to track the movements of the sun to provide maximum shade at any given time of the day. 
         [0035]    Referring still now to  FIG. 1 , food trucks  150  may park in slips  118 . In an embodiment, the food trucks  150  may back into the slips  118  or they may pull in forward. It will be appreciated that the food trucks  150  may be independently owned and operated. Once the food trucks  150  have entered the slips  118 , they may temporarily connect to power through the electrical hookups  120 . This may be done using an extension cord. 
         [0036]    Once the food trucks  150  have parked in the slips  118  and connected to power, patrons may utilize the walkway  110  to access the trucks  150 . In particular, the patrons may utilize the pier portions  114  to access the service windows on the trucks  150  to order food and interact with the truck operators. It will be appreciated that because the pier portions  114  are raised with respect to the parking area  102 , that the patrons are kept out of harms way. 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is depicted an outdoor food truck park  200  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where like reference numerals depict like components. The park  200  may comprises a walkway  202  having a main portion  204  and a plurality of extended pier portions  206  extending from the main portion  204 . The main portion  204  may be substantially straight. 
         [0038]    The park  200  may further comprise a parking area  210  for food trucks  150 . The pier portions  206  may define a plurality of slips  208  in the parking area  210  for receiving food trucks  150 . The pier portions  206  are raised with respect to the slips  208 . Each of the extended pier portions  206  may terminate at a terminal end  212 . Located adjacent each of the slips  208  is an electrical hookup  214  for providing electrical power to the food trucks  150 . 
         [0039]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is depicted an outdoor food truck park  300  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where like reference numerals depict like components. The park  300  may comprise a parking area  302  for food trucks  150 . A driveway  304  may connect the parking area  302  to a roadway (not shown). Disposed adjacent the parking area  302  is a pedestrian walkway  306 . The walkway  306  comprises a plurality of extended pier portions  308 . The extended pier portions  308  define a plurality of slips  310  configured and adapted for receiving the food trucks  150 . Disposed adjacent the slips are electrical hookups  312  for providing onsite electrical hookups for the food trucks  150 . The slips  310  are arranged in a hub and spoke configuration as shown in  FIG. 3 . The extended pier portions  308  are raised with respect to the slips  310 . It will be appreciated that the slips  310  are arranged in a spoke and wheel configuration with the trucks  150  facing inwards. 
         [0040]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is depicted an outdoor food truck park  400  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where like reference numerals depict like components. The park  400  may comprise a parking area  402  for food trucks  150 . Disposed adjacent the parking area  402  is a pedestrian walkway  404 . The walkway  404  comprises a plurality of extended pier portions  406 . The extended pier portions  406  define a plurality of slips  408  configured and adapted for receiving the food trucks  150 . Disposed adjacent the slips are electrical hookups  410  for providing onsite electrical hookups for the food trucks  150 . The slips  408  are doublewide in order to permit two food trucks to park next to each other—with one facing into the slip  408  and one facing outwards. The extended pier portions  406  are raised with respect to the slips  408 . 
         [0041]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is depicted an outdoor food truck park  500  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where like reference numerals depict like components. The park  500  may comprise a parking area  502  for food trucks  150 . Disposed adjacent the parking area  502  is a pedestrian walkway  504 . The walkway  504  comprises a plurality of extended pier portions  506 . The extended pier portions  506  define a plurality of slips  512  configured and adapted for receiving the food trucks  150 . Disposed adjacent the slips are electrical hookups  514  for providing onsite electrical hookups for the food trucks  150 . The extended pier portions  506  are raised with respect to the slips  512 . 
         [0042]    Each of the pier portions  506  may comprise a first side edge  508  and a second side edge  510 . The first side edge  508  and the second side edge  510  intersect at an angle. In an embodiment, the angle is about 90 degrees. The first side edge  508  is longer than the second side edge  510 . With the park  500  in operation, the first side edge  508  is disposed adjacent a side of a food truck while the second side edge  510  is disposed adjacent a back of a food truck  150 . It will be appreciated that the slips  512  are arranged in a staggered configuration. 
         [0043]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is depicted an outdoor food truck park  600  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The park  600  comprises a parking area  606  for food trucks  150 . Disposed adjacent the parking area  606  is a pedestrian walkway  602 . The pedestrian walkway  602  comprises a plurality of extended pier portions  604  that define slips  608  for the food trucks. The walkway  602  is raised with respect to the level of the slips  608 . The park  600  may further comprise a plurality of electrical hookups  610 . In particular, each of the slips  608  includes an electrical hookup  610  such that each of the trucks  150  may hookup to electrical power. It will be appreciated that the slips  608  are arranged in a spoke and wheel configuration with the trucks  150  facing outwards. 
         [0044]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks, said outdoor food truck park comprising: a parking area for the mobile food trucks; a pedestrian walkway adjacent the parking area; the pedestrian walkway having a plurality of extended pier portions, each of the extended pier portions extending into the parking area; and the extended pier portions of the pedestrian walkway defining parking slips for the mobile food trucks; wherein the extended pier portions are raised with respect to a level of the parking slips. 
         [0045]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks having a pedestrian walkway that is raised with respect to the parking slips for the mobile food trucks. 
         [0046]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks with parking slips, wherein a width of each of the parking slips between adjacent ones of the extended pier portions permits only a single food truck. 
         [0047]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks, wherein a width of each of the parking slips between adjacent ones of the extended pier portions permits only a pair of food trucks. 
         [0048]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks that includes a plurality of electrical hookups for the food trucks. 
         [0049]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks, wherein the parking slips are disposed in a spoke and wheel configuration. 
         [0050]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks, further comprising mobile food trucks parked in the parking slips. 
         [0051]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks and a method of operating the outdoor food truck park, said method comprising: providing a parking area for a plurality of mobile food trucks; and providing a pedestrian walkway adjacent the parking area, said pedestrian walkway comprising a plurality of extended pier portions, the plurality of extended pier portions defining a plurality of parking slips in the parking area for the mobile food trucks; wherein the extended pier portions are raised with respect to a level of the parking slips. 
         [0052]    It will be appreciated that the present disclosure provides an outdoor food truck park for mobile food trucks comprising: a parking area for the mobile food trucks; a pedestrian walkway adjacent the parking area; the pedestrian walkway having a plurality of extended pier portions, each of the extended pier portions extending into the parking area; and the extended pier portions of the pedestrian walkway defining parking slips for the mobile food trucks; wherein the extended pier portions are raised with respect to a level of the parking slips; wherein the pedestrian walkway has an arcuate shape. 
         [0053]    In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description of the Disclosure by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0054]    It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.