West Columbia Food Truck Court closes

Just six months after opening, the West Columbia HEMI Food Truck Court has closed.

“Unfortunately we just cannot stay open,” said coordinator Christina Suvarna in a video posted on the food truck court’s Facebook page. “We just have not had the customer base to justify having trucks out there. We’ve tried but it just hasn’t worked out.”

Suvarna developed her idea for the food truck court last year and approached West Columbia business owners Bill and April McEntire with it. The McEntires own the vacant lot next to their business, Outdoor Wood Furniture at 718 Meeting St., and agreed to lease it to Suvarna for the food truck court. Since its March opening, rotating trucks at the court--which included tables, chairs, parking and lighting--included LaBrasca’s Pizza, Grill on Wheels, the Belgian Waffle Truck and others.

“I just want to give a big thanks to everyone who’s been super supportive of us as we went through changes as well as trying to survive the heat of the summer,” Suvarna said in the video post. “It’s been crazy up in the hundreds and in the food truck it gets really hot as well as sitting out in the lot.”

But Suvarna isn’t writing off her ties to food trucks entirely.

“If you are somebody who has enjoyed it ... we do have our own food truck that is open, it is called The Beast and it will be at Soda City on Saturdays with the other food trucks,” Suvarna said.