Demand Grows for Downtown Street Eats Food Truck Rally, Program Returns a Month Early to Cadillac Square and Woodward Esplanade

DETROIT – Who’s hungry? The Downtown Detroit Partnership’s (DDP) popular Downtown Street Eats program rolls back into Downtown Detroit Monday, Apr. 10, to kick off the 2023 season. The beloved food truck rally offering a wide variety of cuisine options, everything from Asian to Greek to Mexican, is kicking off early to meet the growing lunchtime demand. Cadillac Square and the Woodward Esplanade will play host to the region’s best food trucks from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday through October and during special events such as the Detroit Grand Prix, Detroit Tree Lighting, Headline Concerts and more.

Created, programmed and managed by the DDP and curated by Ask Jennyfer, Downtown Street Eats is Michigan’s largest weekly food truck experience, attracting more than 2,500 people a day and continues to draw new and mainstay trucks, carts and local restaurant pop-ups, offering multiple quick and convenient lunchtime options to satisfy the cravings of Detroiters, Downtown employees and curious visitors alike. Patrons are encouraged to take advantage of an array of surrounding seating options to enjoy their meal in an urban, open-air setting.

“It’s an exciting and electric time of year when the various food trucks line the streets and Detroiters and visitors line up themselves to support these small businesses with big ambitions,” said Laura Dean, Senior Manager, Parks and Public Spaces for the Downtown Detroit Partnership. “We are proud to offer a platform for local food truck owners while also creating a lunchtime destination worth visiting.”

“Curating the Downtown Streets Eats program for the Downtown Detroit Partnership is incredibly rewarding, as we provide a large platform for small businesses looking to grow,” said Jennyfer Crawford, an entrepreneur whose Detroit-based Ask Jennyfer brand marketing firm has been working with the DDP for more than five years to curate small business opportunities at events, such as Market Fridays at Cadillac Square where people can shop for fresh produce and handmade goods. “In addition to the daily lunchtime food offerings at Cadillac Square and the Woodward Esplanade, this year we’re excited to incorporate events and activities to expand engagement surrounding the program, such as a Battle of the Burgers on Aug. 24, National Burger Day.”

WHO’S NEW

New to this year’s Downtown Street Eats lineup is Belly It, which will offer elevated, Asian-inspired sandwiches and rice bowls with special house-made marinades and hot sauces. Fresh to the food truck scene, Belly It first got up and running in the summer of 2022. Owner Anthony Redman, who served five years as Chef de Cuisine at Corktown’s Takoi, is excited to be kicking off a new venture of his own with Downtown Street Eats as the catalyst. “This is our first full season and I’m excited to get the full experience and our name out there. I’ve worked at restaurants in other cities, such as San Francisco, Nantucket and Portland, but I always knew I would come back to Detroit and do my own thing. Being part of Downtown Street Eats in the center of the city will help catapult us one step closer to our goal of opening a brick-and-mortar location.”

Visitors won’t have to look far to find the Belly It truck. Redman teamed up with Detroit artist, Art Nuttz to create bright, eye-catching illustrations for the truck, website and menu. As for the menu, Belly It’s most popular sandwiches include the Drunken Lamb and Bulgogi Cheesesteak. For Redman, Belly It is all about embracing his vast culinary knowledge and mixing it with an American, comfort-food style.

LONGTIME FAVORITE

Longtime favorite Stix and Stone Wood Fired Pizza is returning to the Downtown Street Eats lineup. Stix and Stone kicked off operations in 2017 and joined Downtown Street Eats the same year. Owner Angelo Faggiano said he’s noticed foot traffic increase each year and, as more workers return to their Downtown offices, he and his crew are preparing for another busy season. “During our time at Downtown Street Eats, we’ve noticed a lot of return customers who specifically come to get a slice of our classic Luca Duca cheese and pepperoni, BBQ chicken or our special Verzza pizza made with sauerkraut that typically sells out whenever it hits the menu. We’ve gained a lot of followers who have been great to us. We’ve made connections with not only the customers, but also with the other food trucks. It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of the city’s comeback.”

APRIL KICKOFF WEEK LINEUP

Celebrating its 11th season in Downtown Detroit, this year’s Downtown Street Eats lineup will feature more than 80 food trucks and carts rotating Monday through Friday and during special events.

Downtown Street Eats’ season-opening week lineup includes the following offerings:

Monday, Apr. 10

Hero or Villain, B.L. Ellis Catering, Cousins Maine Lobster, Los Dos Taco, Rolling Stoves

Tuesday, Apr. 11

Big Bo’s Grill, Cousins Maine Lobster, Los Dos Amigos Taco, Rolling Stoves, Spice Rack

Wednesday, Apr. 12

Buffy’s Mexi-Casian Grill, Max Chicago Style Italian Beef, Mr. Creole, Poke Ur Way, Sonny’s Hamburgers, Stix and Stone

Thursday, Apr.13

Belly It, Buffy’s Mexi-Casian Grill, Poke Ur Way, Sonny’s Hamburgers, Spice Rack, Stix and Stone

Friday, Apr. 14

Belly It, Max Chicago Style Italian Beef, Poke Ur Way, Rollin Stone Pizza, Rolling Stoves, Shredderz

Additional food trucks featured in the coming weeks include favorites, such as Chick-A-Dee, Original Seafood Truck, Nu Deli, CIA Cheesesteak Institute of America and Impasto, plus newcomers The Great Greek and Curt Got Crabs.

EARLY TASTE AT TIGERS OPENING DAY TAILGATE

Hungry baseball fans and Detroiters alike can get a taste of what’s to come during this year’s Downtown Street Eats season at the free, official Detroit Tigers Opening Day Tailgate Party presented by Miller Lite and Bally Sports Detroit and produced by the Downtown Detroit Partnership, held at Grand Circus Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 6. Several food truck favorites, such as Big Bo’s Grill, Curt Got Crabs, Great Greek, Poke Ur Way, Stix & Stone Pizza and Wing Snob will be lined up during the party, just steps outside Comerica Park, to keep the crowds fueled up before, during and after the big game.

SUPPORT OF DOWNTOWN SMALL BUSINESSES

In addition to the Downtown Street Eats program, visitors are encouraged to support the Downtown restaurant and small business community by enjoying the many dining options in and around Downtown Detroit Parks, from casual to fine dining and everything in between. They can dine indoors, enjoy beautiful outdoor patio seating at restaurants, like BrisaBar, Parc and Lumen, or take carry-out to the parks to eat while they enjoy the views. Rolling green lawns at Campus Martius Park, Capitol Park, Beacon Park and Grand Circus Park make the perfect picnic spots.

In collaboration with over 250+ community partners, the DDP has established itself as a leader in creating an array of more than 2,000 engaging initiatives, cultural events and programming, as well as managing and operating Downtown Detroit’s historic and world-class public spaces and urban parks.

For a schedule of food trucks and other fun events happening in Detroit parks, visit DowntownDetroit.org/events.

About the Downtown Detroit Partnership

The Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) strengthens and supports Downtown Detroit through strategic initiatives and programs. The DDP convenes business, philanthropic and government partners to create a vibrant and resilient urban core for Detroit and the surrounding community. The DDP is responsible for programming, managing and operating several of Downtown Detroit’s parks and public spaces. For more information, visit downtowndetroit.org.

Visit Detroit is a private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to market and sell the metropolitan Detroit area on a worldwide basis as a destination for leisure and business travel including conventions, trade shows, corporate meetings, tours and incentive travel to maximize additional visitors, visitor expenditures, state and local tax revenues and job opportunities.

More than 700 businesses are represented in Visit Detroit’s membership. Visit Detroit was founded in 1896 as the world’s first convention and visitors bureau. visitdetroit.com