Tanque Verde Swap Meet is about to become food truck central.
If all goes according to plan, a 40-pad food truck venture will go up at the 30-acre, south-side swap meet, creating a foodie oasis.
The swap meet’s Denver, Colorado-based owner, United Flea Markets, is waiting on county and city permits to begin construction of Comida Park at Tanque Verde Swap Meet, says President/CEO Rob Sieban.
The venture, which will be located inside the swap meet grounds, is expected to be finished in late April or early May. Though the shopping side of the market will remain a weekend operation, Comida Park will be open seven days a week.
Rain clouds roll over the Goldfish booth, one of the carny games running on a dark, cold evening at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet on Saturday night. Plans are being made to add a footprint for 40 food trucks to join the swap meet’s lineup.
Admission to the swap meet, at 4100 S. Palo Verde Road, is free except on Friday and Saturday nights, when admission is $1 for adults, free for kids 11 and younger.
Sieban said they are accepting applications from food truck operators and will look for a variety of cuisines “that you can’t get in a single location” if you were just going to a restaurant.
“Everybody has their own tastes and wants something different,” said Sieban, who bought the swap meet from the original owners in 2018.
Comida Park at Tanque Verde Swap Meet will include covered picnic areas, a stage for live entertainment and a center court bar that the swap meet will own and operate.
Tucson will be the second of United Flea Market’s 15 properties nationwide to get a food truck park. The first, outside Houston, is expected to open in mid-February.
Sieban said they received 125 applications for the 42 available food truck spots at the Texas market, and he anticipates he will get a similar response in Tucson.
“We think that the synergy between the flea market and the food truck park is a natural,” he said.
Anahy Fernandez dusts off the selection of musical instruments on display in the Guitarras Paracho booth at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet, Tucson, Ariz., January 22, 2022.
Applications will be screened for quality of food based on social media reviews and the applicant’s following in the community.
“We really wanted to make sure our customer has great diversity and a great and wide selection,” said Sieban, who started his company in 2007 when he bought the Mile High Flea Market in Denver. The company now has properties throughout the southeast including four in Florida and locations in Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky.
In addition to the initial 40 food truck pads — Sieban said there will be room for the venture to grow — Comida Park at Tanque Verde Swap Meet also will include covered picnic areas, a stage for live entertainment and a center court bar that the swap meet will own and operate.
“Tucson is one of my favorite markets to go to,” said Sieban, who launched United Flea Markets after a dozen-year career in specialty retail. “People just come out to have a good time, and it’s a fun place.”
Calling all food trucks
United Flea Markets is accepting applications from food truck operators to be part of the Comida Park at Tanque Verde Swap Meet. To apply, visit comidapark.com.
