Stockton has a food truck culture that is known and has been rapidly growing throughout the years. Although the majority of food trucks are taco trucks, other food categories like desert, noodles and seafood are joining the ranks.
Stocklandia is a food truck park that recently celebrated their grand opening, attracting many people from the community including Stockton mayor candidate Kevin Lincoln. Stocklandia, located at 2107 N. West Lane, is a recently opened lot that provides a space for food trucks on the east side of Stockton.
Stocklandia consists of five to six permanent food trucks on site, as well as food trucks that come and go during the day, making the lot a food truck festival. Stocklanida founders Veronica Martinez, Kenneth Foster and Robert Arias have been working on their vision and are finally seeing it come to life in the community.
“It gives food trucks a safe place to park. The city only allows them to be parked in a certain area for three to four hours then they have to move,” said Martinez.
Some of these food trucks include El Frutal, La Baja Tijuana, Tacos La Palmita, Rolling Lumpia and Kosmos — a Stockton staple.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Stocklandia has an advantage over many traditional styled restaurants: no seating. Food trucks already being an outdoor-type restaurant means there is no seating for guests to sit down, in times like these, food trucks have become a very popular eating style for people everywhere.
Other CDC guidelines were followed with its grand opening and the many more events it looked forward to hosting. This includes masks on at all times, and social distancing.
“Almost everyone does it now. They order their food for either takeout or they sit in their cars. We have on site parking here so that is what a lot of people tend to do,” said Martinez.
Stocklandia is not only bringing the Stockton community another fun and safe social distancing event to attend, but it is also bringing the many cultures of Stockton together with food and the fun concept of a food truck festival.
“We have so much diversity here. Traditional Mexican taco trucks, hamburgers and the only lumpia truck in all of Stockton,” said Martinez.
Stocklandia during the week of Thanksgiving will be shutting down the park and hosting a food drive for all the homeless in Stockton.
“We’re going to close the park for a day and the trucks will be giving out free meals to the homeless,” said Martinez.