Bradenton Truck Yard: A New Foodie Destination Opens In Bradenton

BRADENTON, FL — A new foodie destination has quietly opened in Bradenton.

Food trucks cooking up all styles of cuisines serve lunch and dinner at the new Bradenton Truck Yard, located at 611 9th Street East, Wednesday through Sunday, said Nikki Mabalot, one of the site’s managers.

“We have three trucks open, maybe four, at a time, and none of them will have the same food at the same time,” she said. “There’s definitely something for everyone here.”

The truck yard is still under construction, though, and a grand opening celebration will be planned when the build-out is complete. In the meantime, the truck yard’s soft opening gives organizers a chance to see which food trucks work at the location while slowly building interest in the endeavor, said Ray Mabalot, Nikki’s husband.

The Sarasota couple has operated the food truck Mouthole BBQ for the past seven years. They took over as managers of the Bradenton Truck Yard, which opened late fall, about two months ago.

“Right now, it may look like just a parking lot, but when this whole thing gets built out it will be really impressive,” Ray said.

The property developers have big plans for the site, but wish to remain anonymous, Nikki said. “They prefer to be angel investors, behind the scenes.”

The developers have launched similar food truck destinations in other cities, though.

“The Dallas Truck Yard is one of their babies,” Ray said. “My brother-in-law lives a few blocks away. It’s amazing and packed all the time. It’s super intimate but wide open at the same time.”

Nikki added, “That’s the inspiration for the Bradenton Truck Yard.”

Ray hopes the food truck yard will pull from nearby condos and other residential areas, as well as traffic heading to and from Anna Maria Island.

“This is going to be the biggest foodie destination to hit this area ever,” he said.

The build-out should be completed sometime this spring. When it’s done, the site will host various special events, including live music, Nikki said.

“We can’t divulge too much yet, though,” she added.

In the meantime, the food trucks, which rotate daily, are open for business. The couple is always on the lookout for new food trucks to add to the schedule, too.