16
BROOKLYN WEEKLY, FEB. 3, 2019
BY COLIN MIXSON
Talk about a tasty Prospect!
Caretakers of Brooklyn’s Backyard
want to fi ll the meadow with
even more dining options, according
to a recently released request
for vendors to set up food carts at
fi ve spots around the lawn.
Leaders of green-space steward
the Prospect Park Alliance on Jan.
22 issued a request for proposals
from concessionaires interested in
parking their so-called mobile-food
units at locations including Grand
Army Plaza, the park’s entrance
at Ninth Street and Prospect Park
West, the Vanderbilt Street Playground,
Dog Beach, and the ball
fi elds near 10th Avenue.
Would-be vendors hoping to
cash in on sales to the park’s
10-million annual visitors must
hawk their fare from a food truck,
pushcart, or other wheeled storefront,
according to the request,
which calls for high-quality grub
options at a range of prices.
Interested entrepreneurs can
submit proposals to the Alliance
through March 4, and applicants
can increase their chances of landing
a three-year vending contract
by proposing environmentally
friendly operations, such as carts
or trucks powered by non-polluting,
low-noise generators, or setups
that employ water-conservation
measures, according to the
Alliance’s request.
And although meadow stewards
EAT UP!: Stewards of Brooklyn’s Backyard last week released a request for proposals from vendors interested in setting up
mobile-food operations at fi ve locations around the meadow, including in Grand Army Plaza. File photo by Stefano Giovannini
hope to bring vendors to all
fi ve locations, the ultimate number
of new grub hawkers will depend
on the amount and strength
of proposals submitted, according
to Alliance spokeswoman Lucy
Gardner.
The new vendors will beef up
the meadow’s current food-andbeverage
options, which include
the Bluestone Café at the LeFrak
Center at Lakeside, hot-dog carts
near the Long Meadow ball fi elds
and the park’s Lincoln Road entrance,
and two snack bars — Time
Out, at the Parade Ground, and
Pony Express, near the carousel.
And, of course, the borough’s
beloved Smorgasburg festival ,
which brings dozens of concessionaires
to a patch near Prospect
Park Lake on Sundays from
late March-early April through
October.
Park growing
its grub hubs
Prospect Park keepers seeking
new vendors for green space