THE CO-OP SA FOOD TRUCK PARK

Stephen Paprocki didn’t plan on opening a food truck park, but at The CO-OP SA — a collection of warehouse spaces in Northeast San Antonio that he's helped transform into a growing food business incubator — the belief is everybody can help everybody. Ask about the larger culinary scene in San Antonio, and it brings up The CO-OP slogan: “One team, one goal.”

So when Paprocki saw in the paper that the food truck hub at StreetFareSA abruptly

Southern Kitchen (Cajun & Creole cuisine), Malongdo Thai Food, Malik's Philly’s Phamous Cheesesteaks, TexaRican (Puerto Rican cuisine), and Lumpia Hut Express (Filipino cuisine). Add to that a food hall called The Club House that has an indoor dining area with games for kids and adults as well as a non-alcoholic bar from Powered By Plants, which makes whole-hemp-plant, live resin-infused spirits like tequila and gin. Suddenly, Northeast San Antonio has a food truck park that’s incomparable to any other in San Antonio.

“The whole idea is I love food truck parks, but I hate the weather,” Paprocki says. “If you go in the summertime, it’s 10,000 degrees and you’re going to die. Or, you go to enjoy with friends and all of a sudden it starts pouring rain — it’s all affected by the weather. So, I wanted to kill two birds with one stone by creating a place where the food trucks can plug in, but there’s a place to offer to their customers, too.” rent to trucks, an effect of the organization’s goal to help culinary entrepreneurs on their feet. The site had amenities others didn’t, like a commercial kitchen and commissary so trucks could dispose of used grease and dirty water without having to travel. On top of all that, the CO-OP team has been more accessible and adaptable than other food truck park management Best has worked with in the past.

“If I have an issue, something needs fixing, or I have a question about the property, they are really making themselves available,” says Best, who started at The CO-OP SA in January. “They don’t mind taking time out of their day to help or find the answers you need, so my experience has been amazing. That indoor seating area is an example — when I first got here, it was just storage, but they put some hard work into building a place for our customers to sit and enjoy our food instead of just taking it and leaving.” on hand has already led to a tangible benefit for Best and Go Vegan.

“I believe in the universe putting signs out there. They were looking for someone like me to come park there, and I was definitely looking for a new place to open up,” she says. “So far it’s working for both parties — I don’t know if it's just people finding me for the first time through coming out or social media, but my business has increased since I’ve been at The CO-OP.” shut down last November, it was only a matter of time.

Start your visit at thecoopsa.com.

“I felt bad. Imagine if someone took away your place to make money and you have a family, maybe a kid," Paprocki recalls. "So I said, ‘Start calling these people and let’s see what we can do.’”

Six months later, six food trucks, including three from StreetFare SA, now call The CO-OP SA home every Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. The trucks include: Go Vegan San Antonio, Sauce's

Between the cuisine, the N/A bar and the gathering space, it’s obvious what The CO-OP SA offers customers that other food truck parks don’t. What Paprocki and the team put together stands out from the food trucks operators’ perspective, too. Tara Best of Go Vegan left her spot at The Block SA in late 2022 and had a list of potential locations to investigate. After talking with The CO-OP SA, the decision was simple.

To start, Northeast San Antonio doesn’t have many existing vegan/vegetarian options, so Paprocki wanted a truck to fill the gap. The CO-OP SA also offered more affordable

With a few months at The CO-OP SA, Best has started to utilize even more of the on-site tools at her disposal. She recently had a photographer come by and was able to use gear from The CO-OP’s photo studio for product shots. As requests for podcast interviews have started to come her way over social media, Best intends to take advantage of The CO-OP podcast room so she can conduct interviews without leaving for an extended period of time during business hours. However, the best resource so far may simply be the overall variety available at 11911 Crosswinds Way #201. The welcoming space, the non-alcoholic bar and the diversity of cuisines

11911 Crosswinds Way, #201, San Antonio, 78233 facebook.com/thecoopsanantonio

Summer may be sweltering hot but delicious sun-kissed fruits and colorful vegetables are begging to be bagged at your local farmers market even at the height of the heat. Summer is for different varieties of eggplant, not to mention okra and, of course, bountiful hot, hot peppers

Fig

Peach

Watermelon

Corn

Eggplant

Okra

Hot Peppers

From the Gulf

Brown Shrimp (from mid-July)

For more information on farmers markets, seasonal recipes and what’s in season, visit ediblesanantonio.com

Recipe and photos by Pauline Stevens

3 c. roma tomatoes, cut in quarters

1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half

½ c. roasted corn kernels

10 basil leaves chopped, plus a few whole for decoration

2 garlic cloves smashed

½ small shallot chopped

½ baguette cut in cubes

½ c. queso fresco or añejo cheese for a more salty taste

½ c. olive oil

1 large lemon

Salt

Pepper

Toast baguette cubes in the oven until slightly brown. Mix garlic, shallot, olive oil and lemon in a bowl. Add tomatoes and stir until well mixed. Add corn, cheese and bread, and mix lightly. Add basil, salt and pepper to taste.

Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe and photos by Pauline Stevens Serves 4

8 watermelon slices

1 medium cucumber peeled, half cut into cubes and half cut into slices for decoration

1/3 c mint leaves

PREPARATION

Cut watermelon slices into cubes and blend in a blender with ½ cup of water. Add the cubed cucumber and blend with watermelon mix. In a large pitcher, add mint leaves and slightly press. Strain watermelon and cucumber mix into pitcher. Serve with ice. Decorate with cucumber, watermelon and mint for an extra fresh look. Add lemonade for a delicious option.

Beside her passion for photography, Pauline Stevens enjoys traveling and baking. She also visits every possible farmers market, even between frequent visits to NYC where her quadruplet sons live. Follow her store on IG @redbirdshouse.