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The vision sisters Yareli and Xoimar Manning had when conceptualizing the Miramar Food Truck Park (MFTP) in San Juan was combining diverse culinary offerings beyond the traditional in a park-like setting.

The boom of similar spaces in Austin, Texas, where one of them lived, played a key inspirational part in achieving the approval of a municipal ordinance regulating Food Truck Parks in the capital.

“I always wanted to have my own food business my entire life. My sister and I used to cook at home and dream about me having my own restaurant one day. But opening a restaurant wasn’t easy; it’s very expensive, and it required capital that I didn’t have,” she added.

From a distance, the 48-year-old woman inspired her sister Xoimar to purchase a truck and begin selling the dumplings she crafted. But after some changes, Yareli felt that it was time to make a change in her life. She moved to Puerto Rico in 2013 and pursued her dream of owning her own food truck: The Meatball Company.

In 2014, she moved with her sister Xoimar to a plot of land located at stop 15 on Juan Ponce de León Avenue in San Juan, an ideal space to bring the park idea to life.

After several years of operation and overcoming numerous challenges, the sisters started the Miramar Food Truck Park, which today features eight culinary concepts: Pa’l Pita, Greek food; La Chona, American-style pork; El Jangiri, poke bowls; Leña Eh, grilled food; Yummy Dumplings, Chinese-Latin food; Qué Tostón, creative creole food; SaVor, a vegan option; and Dr. Bizarro, frappés and bubble teas.

“When I envisioned the Food Truck Park, I felt it had to be a space that fostered community, where it felt like a single place... I wanted it to be a harmonious space,” expressed Yareli.

“That sense of community, that we all become one entity, one family, I think that’s what makes the difference, and you feel it when you come to the park,” she said.

The park has parking, restroom facilities, live music, DJ performances, and a television for streaming sports events, competitions, and movies. Every other Saturday, the venue turns into a local market.

Many of the park’s culinary concepts are led by seasoned chefs who opted to launch their own ventures. Like Patricia Romero, owner of La Chona, who went from working in the kitchens of renowned hotel chains to venturing out on her own with her food truck.

“I’ve been cooking for nearly 10 years, and I completely switched industries from fine dining and hotels to food trucks,” said the 28-year-old woman.

In her kitchen, the young the San Sebastián native prepares American-style pork using an iron stove to achieve a unique texture The most popular dishes include almojábanas (bread made with cheese and corn flour), mac and cheese, chicken and waffles, and sliders.

“From the moment I began working on the truck, one of my goals was to become part of this family. It’s literally a community; we all get along very well,” expressed the chef.

Currently, there are over 10 parks like this across the island. Each one has transformed the lives of small business owners who dreamt of owning their own food establishments.

The space, located at stop 15 on Juan Ponce de León Avenue, is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram as Miramar Food Truck Park.