Berks businessman proposes food truck park in Exeter
Hamid Chaudhry wants to use the former Sheetz site
Hamid Chaudhry, in his own words, achieved the American Dream when he purchased the Dairy Queen Grill and Chill in Kenhorst in 2003. He expanded that dream to others when he became owner of the Shillington Farmers Market, where 75% of businesses are owned by women, people of color or first-time business owners.
Now, he wants to do it again by opening a food truck park on five acres of land surrounding the former Sheetz at 6600 Perkiomen Ave. in Exeter Township, which he bought in 2021 for a combined total of more than $1 million. “God willing,” he says, it will be open by the end of June.
“I provide opportunities for people,” Chaudhry said. “I’m no longer young, so why not do something different?”
Chaudhry, owner of the Wyomissing Family Restaurant and former owner of the Dairy Queen in Exeter, presented his plan at the April 18 meeting of the Exeter Township Planning Commission. The township supported his idea and said it would find a way to make it a reality within township regulations.
“Exeter Township has been working with me very well,” Chaudhry said. “They have never seen a food truck park, so they’re trying to put it in a category.”
Exeter Township Zoning Officer Will Brugger was not available for comment.
So far, ten people are interested in being a part of his park, purveyors of Mediterranean, Indian and Korean cuisine, as well as burgers, fried chicken and Berks County cheesesteak.
“There’s plenty of talent out there,” Chaudhry said. “They want to live their dream, they want to have their dream job. But people no longer want to work in a restaurant seven days a week. The new generation, they value their life.”
When Chaudhry got his start at the Dairy Queen, he was working 100 hours a week.
“This will be something new for the area, and it will provide opportunity for the next generation to start their own business,” he said.
All Chaudhry needs now is a permit — and the biggest digital billboard possible to advertise on Route 422, which he asked the township zoning board for.
Since Sheetz already has a commercial kitchen, there is little Chaudhry has to do to refurbish the site. He plans to use the space as a communal kitchen, and eventually open a farmers market on the property as well. However, due to global events and supply chain issues, the farmers market will have to wait.
“The pricing I’m getting is ridiculously high,” he said, “like four million dollars to build a farmers market.”
Chaudhry wants the food truck park to be a place where families can get healthy meals at a reasonable price, from local smallbusinesses. He also wants it to preserve what he calls the “DNA of Berks County.”
“The landscape in Berks County is changing,” he said. “We used to be mom and pop shops. Now we’re overrun by McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and Wawas.”
He calls those small businesses “the part of Berks County that’s still special.”
“I want to give that to the next Hamid,” he said, “or the next John. I want to keep it Berks County.”
He even purchased an old caboose from the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum to display at the food park. Chaudhry loves railroads and called the purchase “a lucky shot.”
“I’m a collector,” he said, “just like I bought the big chicken (in front of Wyomissing Family Restaurant). How many people can say they own a caboose?”