About five months after its soft opening with a single vendor, the AP Food Truck Court has added two more.
The court, located across from the Ascension Parish Courthouse, debuted in November with Sam’s Greek and Lebanese Food as its first vendor. It later welcomed Bayou Eatz on April 8 and Eat Creole earlier this week, according to Ascension Parish Deputy CAO Pamela Matassa.
“This (soft opening) allowed us to begin activating the space while continuing to build out vendor participation,” Matassa said in an email.
The court features a concrete park with space for six food trucks and seating. The concept, first discussed in 2022, was developed to address a need near the courthouse, where many visitors have limited time to leave for lunch. After considering a café inside the building, parish officials determined a food truck court would be a better fit.
The site sits directly across from East Ascension High School and near several key destinations, including Ascension Parish government offices, Healthy Ascension, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office and Gonzales City Hall.
“The vision for the project is to create a vibrant, rotating food destination in the heart of Gonzales,” Matassa says. “At full buildout, the space will accommodate multiple vendors, provide a consistent lineup of diverse food options, and serve as a gathering place for residents, employees, and visitors. The project is designed to support small businesses while activating a key corridor of parish-owned property.”
Launching the food truck hub came with challenges. As the first concept of its kind in Ascension, the project required building a framework from the ground up, according to Matassa. That included coordinating parish infrastructure, navigating permitting with the City of Gonzales, establishing clear operational guidelines and ensuring all documentation and public-facing information were accurate ahead of a full rollout.
“Because there was no existing model locally, we took a thoughtful, measured approach to ensure the program is sustainable and positioned for long-term success,” she says.
Matassa adds that the parish is focused on establishing a successful model in Gonzales and will evaluate opportunities to expand similar concepts elsewhere as the program grows and demand increases.
Food trucks interested in joining the court must meet several requirements, including obtaining a City of Gonzales food truck permit, maintaining proper vehicle registration and insurance, carrying liability coverage and completing background checks. More information and application materials are available through the parish.
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