NOONDAY, Texas — Chris and Courtney Smith have exciting plans for Noonday.
Courtney’s family, the Oldhams, have been a part of the Noonday community for generations, which is how her and Chris inherited the just-more-than-one acre lot.
Not only did they want to keep the land in the family, they also wanted to use it to provide something of value to the community.
"A place that you can come and hang out and have a good time without having to drive, not like Tyler is that far away. But you don't have to go all the way into Tyler or go anywhere else," Chris Smith, future owner of Old Pecan Food Truck Park said.
They’ve been working on this plan since 2021 and with the combination of the lot’s location and distance from the highway, the idea of creating a food truck park always stuck out to them.
"It was one of our first ideas, was like ‘that’d be a great spot for a food truck park’ I mean look at the amount of traffic that’s constantly going through here, this is one of the hottest spots going through here. All the travel from Frankston to Tyler and then back and forth," Smith said.
The Smiths aren’t just stopping at food trucks though. There are plans to add a stage for live music and even build a boutique shop. Smith’s say there aren’t many food options near the lot, and really no entertainment options so they hope to provide those for residents.
"A place where not only can you come get food and have drinks or whatever, but you can… kids can play. Again, there’s a green space for your kids to run around, and again, a safe environment. Not really trying to compete with anybody, but just offer something a little different," Smith said.
The Smith’s still need to acquire permits to build and operate their boutique, but otherwise, their plans have been set in motion. The hope is to have everything built and ready to go a year from today, and then hopefully welcome food trucks and open for business shortly after.