It was ‘perfect’ for Boise. Instead, this planned food truck park ‘frickin’ crumbled’

Hearing Brian Ramos talk about Cart Life, you couldn’t help but get fired up.

And maybe drool a little.

Inspired by concepts they saw while traveling, Ramos and his wife, Heidi, had the idea to launch a year-round Boise food truck park. Five tenants would be anchored by a permanent building. It would have indoor dining space and a bar, plus heated outdoor seating for winter.

Cart Life would take over the vacated Tates Rents property at 4191 W. State St. “What a perfect location for it,” Ramos marveled.

This kind of fun is what Boise’s about, right?

Nearly a year later, Ramos’ voice is different. Friendly. But frustrated.

Cart Life isn’t just delayed anymore, as he explained in a November update.

“Essentially,” Ramos says, “it’s dead in my eyes.”

The news couldn’t be worse. Not if you’re a Boisean who loves cold IPAs and warm tacos. And a hot game of cornhole on a cool summer evening.

The Ramoses have reached an impasse with the property owners, he says. “I have to move on,” Ramos explains. Resigned to the situation, he’s preparing to pull the prominent Cart Life sign on State Street — the one that promises it’s “coming soon.”

This massive bummer boils down to money. Of course. And risk. The property owners aren’t willing to invest what it would take to improve the building and lot, Ramos says, and meet city requirements. And he and his wife aren’t willing to invest any more of their lives into a structure and property that they don’t own.

“There is nobody more disappointed than me,” Ramos says, “just because I know this thing would thrive in Boise.”

“I spent a whole bunch of money, lost a whole bunch of money. We’re going to have to sell a bunch of stuff that we bought to put in it already.”

“Most of the stuff that was going to be Cart Life specific, we were going to pay for,” he adds.

The Ramoses met with architects. The city approved plans. They communicated with potential food truck tenants. They put up that prominent sign and message encouraging passers-by to follow Cart Life on social media.

They even ordered sweet-looking custom cornhole boards made in Oregon.

But unless something crazy — something dramatic — occurs? Idaho can stick a fork in Boise’s permanent food truck pod.

“Never say never,” Ramos admits, before chuckling. “Maybe put in there, ‘If you have a piece of property that can be turned into an open-air patio, give Brian a call.’ ”

He has been scouring the area for alternative sites. But they aren’t the same as the former equipment rental property on State.

“There’s just nothing that really works,” he says. “And unless they have a monumental change of heart and all of a sudden are ready to do it, it’s gonna be dead.

“It would have been a beautiful thing, and it frickin’ just crumbled.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 9:05 AM.