Permanent Boise food truck park planned with indoor bar, seating — in ‘perfect’ spot

While traveling, Brian and Heidi Ramos have been tempted by bustling food cart pods like The Lot and The Podski in Bend, Oregon — tempted to launch a similar concept back home.

“We’re just like, ‘God, this would do so well in Boise,’ ” Brian Ramos says.

So when an equipment rental business recently vacated its longtime spot at 4191 W. State St., the couple saw their chance. “I thought, ‘What a perfect location for it,’ ” Ramos says. “Close to the park. Close to the Greenbelt. Close to the North End. Plenty of traffic going by.”

If all goes well, traffic will be stopping by soon.

Cart Life, a new food truck park, could open as early as July, Ramos says. If the couple receives a conditional use permit from the city after a public hearing April 5, “we’re hoping to just have frickin’ hammers flying after that,” he says.

Because Cart Life doesn’t rely exclusively on outdoor dining, it has year-round potential. Using Tates Rents’ old building, the plan is to have an indoor bar where the lobby used to be, two new restrooms, and seating inside the garage area — with both garage doors upgraded to glass versions.

Five food trucks would offer menus, Ramos says. And like Cart Life, the mobile restaurants would be permanent fixtures on the half-acre site — or at least semi-permanent, he says.

Covered outdoor seating on the west and south sides of the building would provide shade in the summer, with a gas fire pit cutting the chill at night. The old Tates equipment awning in the parking lot would be jettisoned.

In winter, customers could stay warm indoors in an environment remodeled with reclaimed wood and outdoor-sports decor — only heading outside to grab food. “We’ve even contemplated the concept of having a runner in winter,” Ramos says.

A runner bringing food? You wouldn’t have to brave the weather to get your order?

“The only thing that would be cold is your beer,” Ramos says, adding that Cart Life also plans to pour wine, hard cider and soft drinks. At least a dozen tap handles are planned.

Last summer, Ramos checked out the city’s part-time food truck gathering place, The Switchback, during its second season. Open during warmer months at Harris Ranch, the setup was “quite portable,” he remembers.

And popular.

“They were just doing it on the weekends,” Ramos says. “It wasn’t quite the comfortable atmosphere that we’re shooting for — and it was still packed on Friday and Saturday. You couldn’t even get close to the trucks there were so many people there.”

With a location on a thoroughfare near Willow Lane Park and Athletic Complex? Ramos feels pretty good about Cart Life’s odds.

“I think it’s gonna do well here,” he says. “... Think about what people are going to do for food when all those softball tournaments are going on back there.”

This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 4:00 AM.