OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – José Encarnación is a step closer to transforming this empty lot near north Orange Blossom Trail into a modern food truck park in Kissimmee.
“It will be different in the customer experience, and the customer service it will be different. Let’s say not better, different,” the 30-year-old entrepreneur said.
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During a meeting with representatives of Osceola County Development, Encarnación was given the green light to move forward with the design for the park. He already has renderings from a 2021 proposal he submitted for a different location in Orlando, but after a few setbacks, he said he decided to scout for a different location in a different county.
“Over here I think we have more permissions than in the city of Orlando, so we will do it better over here,” Encarnación said.
The currents designs will have to be modified to meet Osceola County requirements, and he said it would bring a unique experience to the location that sits behind a used car dealership on north Orange Blossom Trail and near West Carroll Street.
“We would like to create a different view of the food trucks,” he said.
The 30-year-old said he learned to be a businessman from his father in the Dominican Republic who bought computers and brought them to the island for sale.
Nine years after he arrived from the island, Encarnación has already established a car dealership and is hoping his new concept for a food truck park will soon become a reality with a covered dining area, big screen tv’s and Instagram-worthy spots – a dream he said began in 2020 when he realized food was a big necessity.
“It starts (my dream) at home with COVID, you know... every business was stopped by it but the food,” he said.
If all goes well and Osceola County approves the plans, the new food truck park will be part of a growing trend of food trucks. Osceola County already has three other food truck parks such as World Food Trucks, considered to be the largest in the county with about 60 food trucks.
Encarnación said he plans to submit the revised designs next month and he will then submit a formal application that needs to be reviewed and approved by the Osceola County.
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