The Pit food truck park has been in the eastside community since March 2022. It became an attraction for people looking to try different foods, creating a strong customer base for the food trucks that parked there.
In January 2023, The Pit nearly closed due to not meeting City of Tucson regulations. At the time, city code did not allow something like The Pit to exist as a recreational food truck park.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Pit approved to stay open
The Pit’s owner Amber Donahue spearheaded efforts, in collaboration with the City of Tucson and the Ward 2 Councilman Paul Cunningham, to amend the code. The new rules passed last month and will be official in January.
RELATED ARTICLE: City of Tucson sets new rules for food courts like the Pit
So it’s already been a battle to keep The Pit open, and then the owner of the land The Pit currently operates at decided to bring in a new tenant. By some time next year, there will be a gas station on the northwest corner of Pantano Rd. and 22nd St. The Pit’s last day of operation will be December 31st.
Now, The Pit will be moving to a new location at 3333 E. Grant Rd. Donahue said this location will be a huge upgrade.
Whats great about the new space is that we have all this room dedicated to food trucks, and then a lot of outdoor gathering space as well as a ton of parking,” said Donahue.
“There will be more space, well also have a structure thats almost 4,000 square feet and inside well have room for dining and a full bar. As well as more space outdoors for games and activities for families.
While she hoped the timing would make for a smooth transition for her business and the food trucks, there will between the closure and reopening.
We were hoping to be able to time everything just right so when we closed here we would be able to open immediately at the new location, however there is still some construction that needs to be done so were hoping to be open by spring 2024, she said.
As far as the food trucks, there are different plans for the ones in regular rotation at The Pit. For most of the trucks, they plan to wait it out until the new location opens. The hope is to find temporary spots and events for business.
Nobody really knows where theyre going, its kind of like a guessing game, said Gabriela Delgadillo, owner of Samurai Sombrero.
She was able to find a temporary spot, but some of the food trucks KGUN9 spoke to are still looking. Still, they seemed optimistic about the wait. Delgadillo said she feels like the new location will be a hotspot for the new location.
Its going to be busy, its going to be in the middle of town so were going to get people from everywhere. And I feel like its going to be something new, said Delgadillo.
The Pit invites the community to come out and celebrate The Pit on Saturday December 23rd before it closes on the 31st.
If you’re looking for where your favorite food truck might be headed, here’s what we know:
CuppaGoGo: CuppaGoGo just recently set up their own brick and mortar coffee at 4877 E Speedway Blvd. They’ll be conducting business from there and doing events. CuppaGoGo’s last day at The Pit is December 23rd. Samurai Sombrero: Samurai Sombrero will be conducting business from 8101 E. 22nd St. starting January 1st. Tacos Hermano: There isn’t a temporary location yet, but asks customers to follow their Facebook page for updates. Messylicious: There isn’t a temporary location yet, but asks customers to follow their Instagram page for updates. Homemade Mediterranean: There isn’t a temporary location yet, but asks customers to follow their Facebook page for updates. Good Eats: This food truck plans to be at The Hideout and Louie’s Cantina. Sweet Rolls: See Instagram page for updates. Duke’s Delicious Pizza: Check Instagram page for updates.