The Park Street Food Bar has opened its doors and intends to modernize fun, food and funk in the downtown area, providing a new hangout area for ASU students near the Downtown Phoenix campus.
Featuring recipes from local food trucks, a computerized beer garden, live music and a dance floor, the park-themed venue opened on Feb. 10 and promises to bring a variety of entertainment options to the area.
The venue will also host events geared specifically toward college students.
“We are going to have a college night on Wednesdays,” Stephanie Willson, the event sales manager at The Park, said.
Willson added that a live DJ will play during these events, hopefully drawing a millennial crowd.
“It is a local DJ, and he is going to host it, starting March 8," she said.
The main attraction of the bar is the constantly changing menu, which swaps based each day based on which food truck is currently running the kitchen. The bar's food partners include locally recognized names including Pho King, Pour Jo Coffee, Paradise Valley Burgers and Frosted Frenzy Cupcakes.
Large flat screen displays behind the register show which food truck staff members are in the kitchen on any particular day and what menu items they will be serving.
Depending on the day, options can range from Vietnamese food, BBQ, burgers, paninis, Hawaiian food and even sweet treats such as milkshakes and cupcakes.
Joe Dixon, The Park Bar general manager, is proud to tout what he calls endless possibilities that The Park can offer, especially for groups who have a hard time deciding where and what to eat.
“Most of the time when you go out to lunch or you go out to dinner with somebody, someone always has to settle,” Dixon said. “Here it’s not going to be that way.”
The Park also features a computerized self-serve beer garden that operates on a reloadable card system. Patrons use a touchscreen computer above the spout, which displays the card balance and provides customers with several beverage options.
“We are going to try to have a little bit of everything,” Dixon said. “So people will be super happy with what they get.”
Hungry? Come join us for lunch. Gotta try Frites Street Garlic Parmesan Frites! #theparkphx #fritesstreet #dtphx https://t.co/66a52V5DSJ
— The Park (@meetatthepark) February 14, 2017
If food and beer isn't enticing enough, The Park offers live band and DJ performances throughout the week that draw in nightly crowds.
“Our night life has been awesome,” Dixon said. “Last week we had live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and it was huge.”
A 20-foot LED screen located in the middle of the venue offers views of sports games and other live events, doubling as a visual backdrop for the live bands that perform throughout the week.
“This screen is perfect for watching games, and the ambiance is great here,” said Lucas Burnett, a Phoenix resident who has been at The Park with friends a few times since its initial opening earlier in the month.
Several TVs are mounted throughout the venue and at the indoor/outdoor bar, while arcades and an LED ping pong table can be found in a grassy area near the back.
The venue is still under construction, with the outdoor patio and entertainment systems set to be expanded in the coming weeks.
Though the venue is still in its infancy, the staff is optimistic and hopes to open similar venues near the Downtown Phoenix campus to feature more food truck cuisine.
The Park is located on Collier Center near the Talking Stick Resort Arena, with hours of Sunday to Tuesday 11 a.m. to midnight and Wednesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Reach the reporter at bnmattox@asu.edu or follow @britt_mattox on Twitter.
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