Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there are fewer options than ever for grabbing a quick lunch near the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) campus and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. With the closure of the Shell Cafe, staff and students alike are forced to venture farther from the medical campus to seek out dining options. However, the pandemic has resulted in many other nearby restaurants closing their doors as well, including Wild Flower and Revoaked Sandwiches. Is there a solution to this?

The WUSM Food Truck Row greenspace along Scott Avenue was developed and operated as a partnership between WUSM and the St. Louis Food Truck Association (STLFTA). Easily-accessible power outlets and designated food truck parking spots made this spot a great option for food trucks setting up on the medical campus. However, during the summer of 2020, Food Truck Row was closed due to COVID, as well as to accommodate the now-completed construction of the Neuroscience Research Building mock-up on the adjacent greenspace. However, as COVID cases continue to decline in the St. Louis area, we eagerly await the food trucks' return!

Recently, pre-COVID dining options are becoming more readily accessible. Both the Danforth Campus's Dining Services as well as the Cortex, the WashU-associated biotech hub in the Central West End, are both allowing food trucks to visit their campuses again. In addition, other facilities on the WUSM campus that were closed due to COVID-19, such as Kaldi’s Café at the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center (FLTC), have returned to normal operations. As an outdoor venue, the Food Truck Row would hypothetically offer a much safer dining experience than an indoor restaurant with respect to COVID-19 transmission. 

Our hope is that this petition will demonstrate to both WUSM Facilities and STLFTA the enthusiasm surrounding having the food trucks regularly visiting Scott Avenue again. Food Truck Row is a great place to meet friends for a lunch together while enjoying the beautiful spring/summer/fall weather in St. Louis.

We ask WUSM Facilities and the St. Louis Food Truck Association to work together to coordinate the return of recurring food trucks to the Scott Avenue greenspace for the enjoyment of staff, students, and visitors on the WUSM campus.

Thanks for reading! Share this petition, as well as your thoughts in the comments below, to help us build support for the return of food trucks to campus.