Innsbrook food truck park The Glades is moving to a new location ahead of its opening date next month
The Glades, a food truck and community events concept, now plans to open at 4991 Lake Brook Drive in Innsbruck. The business had previously planned to open at the nearby former site of the Innsbrook After Hours concert series. (Photo by Jack Jacobs)
Undeterred by the zoning hurdle it faced at the former Innsbrook After Hours Hotel, the fledgling food truck park now plans to open in a different location a short distance away.
The Glades, which will include a farmers market, food trucks and other amenities, is preparing to open at 4991 Lake Brook Drive in mid-October.
The Glades was previously scheduled to open at the former concert site at 4901 Lake Brook Drive, where it was hoped to be up and running this month. Founder Phu Nguyen said the relocation was in response to the discovery that the site of the former concert venue was not appropriately allocated for The Glades concept.
“I wasn’t aware of it until the county brought it to me. We found (a location) that’s a better fit for what we’re trying to do and we’re working on that,” Nguyen said.
A farmers market, rather than a food truck park, is now planned to be the first phase of the project as The Glades rethinks the order in which it rolls out the various items envisioned as part of the concept.
Vo Nguyen
A food truck park originally envisioned as the project’s first business is scheduled to follow later because it is expected to be quicker to get the county approval needed for a farmers market, Nguyen said. The farmers market is also expected to include food trucks, outdoor picnic tables and string lighting.
The original vision for The Glades remains largely intact. Nguyen plans a phased approach to building out the concept to include live music performances, a dog park, a children’s play area and other features in addition to a farmers market and food truck park. The Glades will also feature seating and décor, and is expected to eventually be a seven-figure investment.
The new location for The Glades is a grassy, hilly area nestled between two large office buildings, North Shore I and North Shore II, and Rooty Lake, which Nguyen said presents both opportunities and challenges.
“It’s a huge area of green pastures. We’re right in front of the lake. There’s also a hill, which gives us the runway infrastructure to start with,” Nguyen said. “The difficulty with the new site is trying to get some cohesion between what we’re trying to do and what’s already there. This is really the most difficult aspect from a design standpoint. We want there to be harmony in the design.”
The property is owned by Highwoods Properties, and The Glades has a five-year lease on the site, Nguyen said.
The Glades is now expected to operate from 10am to 10pm Friday to Sunday.
Meanwhile, the former Innsbrook After Hours location remains part of a 34-acre complex slated for mixed-use development by Highwoods and Massachusetts-based Northland. In 2022, Highwoods sold 22 acres of the site to Northland, which plans to bring retail and residential projects to the property.
The Innsbrook After Hours Hotel is due to eventually be developed by Highwoods.
