With the success of Food Truck Fridays Dallas organizers have renewed and strengthened their efforts in promoting and backing the event. Dallas Mayor Boyd Austin met last week with Narda Konchel, president, Downtown Dallas Merchants Association, to discuss the next Food Truck Friday event on August 14, from 6 until 9 p.m. featuring musical guest Reckless Dawn. The event will be on Main Street and in the Courthouse Square.
According to Ms. Konchel, last year the Downtown Dallas Merchants Association started Food Truck Friday, and thanks to community and public support, these events have been a great success, she said.
In addition to the entertainment and to the food trucks, local charity groups and nonprofit organizations (listed below) have been invited to attend. Food Truck Friday provides free entertainment to the public, there is no admission, nor any parking fees. The goal for organizers is to promote Dallas and its community.
“Now, through new projects that are being unified through the city’s branding and awareness campaign, we expect see a new level of events and awareness being presented to our local community,” said Mayor Austin. Austin explained that the level of cooperation between the city, city council, and the Merchants Association has worked well. “There are proper legal channels and criteria that must be met before groups and or events can be sponsored directly by the city. The Merchants Association and specifically the Food Truck Friday’s events have been a regular success and also have met these requirements,” Austin said. And as part of the greater picture the city recently unveiled its new logo, which will unify the city’s persona across all media outlets as well as signs and decals.
“Our rich heritage here in Dallas played a major role in the design of our new logo and the campaign to unify the city's approach to meeting the public with a clear representation of the city,” he said. Austin referenced other cities in Georgia, such as Smyrna, that had done away with a centralized center of town and are now returning and rebuilding the centralized town model. Other towns such as John's Creek, Milton and Dunwoody are also embracing this "center of town" model, he said.
Ms. Konchel added that starting now, and over the next year, the new logo will take its place in all public areas, from signs to stationary. “The effort, the new logo, signs, and events was to help reaffirm to the community that the city and the merchants are working together to promote the town and the community. We want everyone to know that there is a coordinated effort and a larger plan in place to promote this wonderful town. It takes time, and a lot of work,” she said.
According to Mayor Austin, some of the signage promoting and directing public attention toward the city from major thoroughfares will probably be the last to come into effect. “This is due to regulations and procedures relating to the DOT. However, there are many aspects to the city's plans that will take time, but the end result will be well worth it to the community as a whole,” Austin said.
Lori Camp, of Bikers Gone Wild, helped to organize and invite nonprofit and charitable organizations that are attending the next Food Truck Friday event.
Organizations who donate their time and efforts include Cory's Crusade against Juvenile Huntington's Disease, Camp Dream, a recreational services organization for children and young adults with mild to severe disabilities.
"Save the Cooch" is the local chapter for the National Cervical Cancer Coalition founded in 1996 as a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to serving women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV disease, and Operation Appreciation has been supporting our troops since 2010.

Photo#1(Left to Right) Narda Konchel, president, Downtown Dallas Merchants Association and Dallas Mayor Boyd Austin
Photo#2 Reckless Dawn
Photo#3 Dallas Food Truck Friday Event