Food trucks return to downtown Detroit this week; check out the lineup

Food trucks return to downtown Detroit's parks Monday  for the 10th year with a lineup of more than 80 rotating concepts that include returning favorites and new faces. 

David Cowan, chief public spaces officer for the Downtown Detroit Partnership, says the city received more applicants than ever for this year's Downtown Street Eats, the program that brings food trucks and trailers to Cadillac Square and the Woodward Esplanade during weekday lunch as well as to other downtown parks on special events. 

"We have so many new trucks participating this year, it's just really refreshing," Cowan said. "It's been fun to watch a lot of entrepreneurs who have been thinking about their dream of opening a truck the past two years now being able to do it."

He said the reason for the uptick in applicants is partially because the parks offer business owners a well-known location with a consistent customer base. 

Opening week lineup and location

The opening week will be at Cadillac Square and near the Spirit of Detroit from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday: Lemonade & Beyond, Los Dos Amigos, Smoke Ring BBQ and Stix & Stone Pizza

Tuesday: Little Brothers Burgers, B.L. Ellis Catering, House of Mac and Impasto

Wednesday: Lemonade & Beyond and Los Dos Amigos

Thursday: Rolling Stone Wood Fired Pizza

Friday: House of Mac, Little Brothers Burgers and Los Dos Amigos

"The Downtown Street Eats program is as much about feeding and serving visitors to downtown and residents and employees as it is for developing small businesses. We want that program to be a win-win-win for the parks and public spaces that we manage, for the food truck operators as well as giving unique menus to the public. That's been our goal for 10 years now," he said, adding that when the program started, they only had two food trucks. 

While the city does charge a fee to the food trucks, in return they get amenities like electrical hook-up, help with loading and a clean, well-maintained park with a consistent customer base. 

What to expect this season

Later in the season, look for halal soul food from Khalipha's Mobile Kitchen, Detroit's Original Seafood Truck, Cheesesteak Institute of America, Motor City Sweet Treats and the Egg Hunt, a new truck from chef Demetrius Edison that will serve chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, breakfast burritos and biscuits and gravy. 

Edison said it was his dream to own a food truck and he gets his passion for cooking from his father. 

"Seeing people smile and enjoying my food motivated me to go after my dream. I live near the downtown area and have spoken to a few of the food truck owners, who gave me some good advice about how to get started," Edison said in a press release. "My business partner Ron Johnson and I spent days trying to come up with a concept that was familiar and, yet, at the same time would set us apart from the others and bring something different to the mix, so that’s how we landed on breakfast-brunch.”

Event schedule for food trucks and other programming at the parks can be found at downtowndetroit.org/events.

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mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens