A food truck park is on the way to the Governors State University neighborhood.
Community members may have noticed a new parking lot across the road from GovState. The lot, accessible from the driveway leading to the Metra station, will soon host a variety of food trucks. The man behind the plan, Donzell Franklin, says they are getting close to the grand opening. He hopes to start feeding customers in the coming months.
Franklin, a former trustee in the Village of University Park, says he is very strategic about the trucks he invites to the park. He is considering applications from a Chicago-style food truck, a Mexican food truck, a Cajun or Jerk food truck, and a pizza truck. He said the idea is that customers can take a culinary trip around the world without leaving University Park. Franklin is also considering a vendor that serves desserts.
Franklin has three trucks of his own. His frozen yogurt truck was at the GovState block party during the first week of the semester. He also owns an ice cream truck and a fully operational food truck that serves chicken wings, fries, hamburgers, mozzarella sticks, Italian beef sandwiches, pizza puffs and hotdogs. Franklin said his frozen treat trucks will rotate out as the seasons change.
Franklin, who says he was the first elected official to serve University Park and who also grew up there, wants to give back to where he was raised. At a recent University Park board meeting, he announced that all the money he made as an elected official was saved for this purpose.
Franklin describes himself as a community mentor. He is the president of the University Park Lions Football and Cheer program, which coaches over 150 young student-athletes. He also leads the University Park Youth Athletics Association.
“I challenge all of my coaches to do community service activities and give back to the community,” Franklin said.
As he negotiates with food truck vendors, he is asking them to agree to give a percentage of their profits to community organizations on designated Fridays. The proceeds will support community programs that focus on gun violence, community cleanups and mental health awareness.
Franklin said he bought the land near GovState partly because of his connection with the university. His mother, Yvonne Franklin, retired from the Admissions Department after 28 years at GovState. Franklin said he went to daycare on campus in a big red barn, a remnant of the original farm that was there. His brother is a GovState alum.
“I look at this as an extension of food options for the students and staff,” Franklin said. “Being from University Park, I’m well aware that it’s a food desert. Not only for fresh produce but food in general.”
Franklin said he hopes to partner with the university, athletic teams, and businesses in the area, and that he would like to provide deliveries to the community and be of service in any way he can.
The tentative plan is to open officially in mid-October, but trucks might occasionally park there even sooner. For now, the park will be open during daylight hours. Franklin said the project’s second phase would include adding lighting to the lot to feed customers after dark.