The Killeen Food Truck Park, 3101 S. Fort Hood St., is closing Sept. 15. A dozen different businesses were still present at the park on Wednesday, and they all must find new homes by that date.
The park’s closure was not planned. Sabrina Hebert, one of the owners of Simply Good Burgers and the park’s operator, said she and the park’s other operators have tried to negotiate a lease extension or purchase of the land on which the food truck park is located, but their offers to the property owner have been ignored.
Since the park opened in 2020, Hebert called it a springboard for local businesses. She said numerous businesses have opened their doors there. In recent years, it has become a mainstay of the local dining scene. “We’ve received a lot of support from the community,” Hebert said.
Simply Good Burgers has a store at 810 NWS Young Drive Suite 109, but the business started as a food truck in the park.
Hebert described it as part of her legacy. Her three children have all worked at the park in the past and she had planned community events, including movie and karaoke nights. Now those events are no longer possible.
“A lot of customers are sad about it,” Hebert said. “It’s affecting Killeen.”
While the community has largely supported the business, Hebert said one aspect of the community was lacking: the city. “I wish the city would be more involved with small businesses,” she said. She lamented that the city gives big companies a lot of money while ignoring the smaller businesses started by local residents. “The city should have stepped in,” she said.
For Sarah Hynes, owner and operator of Les Gâteries de Sarah, the park was the first place she visited after opening her pastry shop. She has been at the park since March of last year. When asked why she chose the park, she said, “It was so convenient.” It is close to her home and Ellison High School, where her child attends. She also stated that business is good at the park.
Now Hynes is faced with a difficult decision about what to do next. “I hate the thought of just giving up,” she said. It has taken Hynes a lot of hard work to perfect the desserts her business specializes in. She described what she serves as fun and fancy European-style pastries. But so far, she hasn’t found a new location for her business and time is running out.
Some of the other food trucks in the park have already found new locations, but many are in limbo. Hebert and the park continue to support them as best they can. She said, “We encourage them to find events.”
