WASHINGTON -- In Brookland, a new food hall isn’t just serving up good eats, it’s also helping jumpstart food truck businesses.
Tastemakers is the brainchild of Captain Cookie food truck founder Kirk Francis. Francis started Captain Cookie, one year ago after leaving his job at the Department of Homeland Security. His food truck has become one of the staples of the D.C. foodie scene.
Several years ago, Francis realized he needed a bigger kitchen to prepare his food. In D.C., all food trucks need a stand-alone kitchen. Captain Cookie moved through shared kitchens across the area, none worked out.
Then Francis stumbled across an old Mayonnaise plant in Brookland. He turned half the building into a shared kitchen for other food trucks. Then he turned the rest of the building into a food hall.
There are several restaurants that have small store fronts inside. Francis said he never anticipated doing more than selling his cookies.
“It just snowballed,” he smiled.
