Mark’s Carts set to open Monday!

The highly anticipated opening of the downtown outdoor food cart courtyard is here.

Seven concessionaires will offer ethnic street food ranging from pulled-pork sandwiches to paella at the W. Washington St. location.
Construction is in its final stages at Mark’s Carts – the last concrete pour is happening this afternoon.  Food carts will be open for business starting Monday, May 9. The beautiful outdoor courtyard — located at 211 W. Washington Street, between Ashley Street and S. First Street — is poised to become Ann Arbor’s premier street food scene. Details about a grand opening celebration will be distributed in the coming two weeks.

“The opening of the food cart courtyard is a dream achieved,” stated Mark Hodesh, owner of Downtown Home and Garden and originator of Mark’s Carts. “I am thrilled to offer this charming outdoor urban pocket of activity to the community.”

Seven food carts will be open for business in the courtyard. Vendors include: San Street (Asian street food); Debajo del Sol (Spanish paella and tapas); The Lunch Room (vegan entrees, sides and baked goods); eat (locally sourced hearty sandwiches); Darcy’s Cart (breakfast burritos and more); Humble Hogs (hoagies, braise-in-a bun, and other savory and sweet offerings), and People’s Pierogi Collective (a variety of homemade pierogi). Hodesh is still accepting applications to fill several additional spots.

The food cart courtyard will operate seven days a week from 8 am to 10 pm, and each cart will set its own hours. There is parking on the street and in a large surface lot just across the street, with entrances on Ashley St. and First St.

The idea for Mark’s Carts originated when Hodesh visited his daughter Jeanne in New York City last year. Impressed with the breadth of street food available there and the joyful, entrepreneurial spirit of the people running the carts, Hodesh decided to bring the concept home.

Food carts, food trucks, and other mobile food establishments have seen a sharp rise in popularity worldwide in recent years. Food carts allow for start-up entrepreneurs, without the capital required for a brick-and-mortar restaurant, to try their food ideas – typically using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. With the opening of Mark’s Carts, Ann Arbor takes its place on the map of street food hot-spots, alongside other U.S. cities like New York, Austin, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle.