GastroPark Food Truck Park Opening in West Hartford

Tate Norden’s blue 1959 Chevy Viking was once your average vintage car. Then, in 2015, he transformed it into the ultimate catering vehicle, featuring a bar and a wood-fired pizza oven. With that, Iron & Grain Co. was born. Now, five years later, he has transformed what was once a vacant West Hartford property into a foodie paradise with funding that has been fully crowdsourced. With that, GastroPark was born, and it is now open for the public to enjoy.

Fuego Picante Truck

After recognizing how profoundly this niche in the restaurant industry was expanding in the Connecticut area, Norden wanted one spot where these trucks could flourish. His years of planning and negotiating with architects, engineers, and contractors have finally paid off, as GastroPark is doing just that, serving as a place where food trucks can congregate and offer customers a range of diverse menus for any craving. With an impressive outdoor and (soon to be) indoor area, visitors will ride a flavor rollercoaster as soon as they enter this unique dining experience.

For Norden, the concept behind the Park all started with a simple vision. Inspired by the desire to unite the community while supporting locally, he wanted GastroPark to be an incubator for talent while facilitating business for the local food truck scene. In these particularly trying times, food trucks and places like GastroPark are needed now more than ever.

“The goal of Gartopark was built around wanting to create a space that empowers small businesses and create a place for the community together so that people can come together around the celebration of food,” he said. “Food trucks can give people the opportunity to start a financially feasible business that they can hopefully grow, scale, and sustain their own livelihood.”

With each day featuring three different slots (lunch, dinner, and late night), Norden has an impressive lineup of food trucks waiting to showcase their varied and exciting menus. One night, you could have a decadent grilled cheese sandwich, the next you could completely change it up with some savory pad thai. Whatever you’re feeling, GastroPark will have it. Plus, they’re going to be mindful of dietary preferences, ensuring that there really is something that everyone can enjoy.  

“We love trying new things and we know that other people like trying new things,” Norden said. “We want the GastroPark to be a place that’s a celebration of food from all different cultures and parts of the world.”

In addition to being a space to stop and enjoy a diverse array of food with family and friends, Norden hopes people will flock to GastroPark when they want a convenient place to grab a bite to eat. If you need to escape the office walls for a work lunch or time on your computer while being fueled by great food, this is your new spot.

Anticipating typical Connecticut weather, Norden has made sure that GastroPark can continue to thrive as summer comes to an end and the colder months push us inside. With an indoor seating area, a bar featuring a strong line up of locally curated craft beers, wine, and other beverages, and even spaces to rent for private events opening up soon, the future's looking bright for the GastroPark team and their lineup of trucks. 

“At the end of the day, it’s really a mission statement about empowerment,” Norden said. “Any assets or resources that can be provided to small businesses to help them make it through these times and empower people to be their own boss is a good thing right now.”

NEW PERK ALERT: Missing your friends or co-workers? Catch up during your own Personal Happy Hour for 10. Private table/section and $30 food & bevy credit per person included.

Stop by the GastroPark and see why choosing a spot to eat with your friends or family has never been easier. 

Follow them on Instagram @thegastropark or on Facebook for updates and truck schedules.