UPDATE: The Pit reopens with the help of a temporary permit from the City of Tucson.
Back in March 2022, The Pit food truck park and market welcomed nearly 10 food trucks to park on-site at 7889 E. 22nd St. On Wednesday, January 11, after months of discussion with the city, the lot near Skate Country and Pantano Road has been ordered to immediately close.
One aspect that led to the decision is a specific area that is being used for additional seating, which requires the owners of The Pit to submit a development package.
“So, we submitted site plans, but because this is considered ‘change of use,’ they’re requiring an entire development package on the property,” said Amber Donahue, co-owner of The Pit. “But we don’t own the property. Also, we didn’t do a site plan for like the undeveloped lot behind us and the parking lot because we weren’t developing it. So, because of putting tables out there, it now is considered something that needs to go through development. And in this time that we’ve been kind of going back and forth, they told us we needed a new site plan. We gave them a new site plan, but it was denied.”
Another reason for the immediate closure is that the food trucks are not 100 feet apart and they’re required to leave the premises daily. The trucks that have most recently parked on the property include Cuppa Gogo, Bemo’s Ol Joe’s, Hiba Saab’s Homemade Mediterranean, Messylicious, Cool Runnings Jamaican Food Truck, and Samurai Sushi.
“We met with zoning and they said we have a few options,” said Donahue. “One, go down to three trucks. Another is that trucks can’t plug in and will need to leave every day. Then, we can try to get rezoned as a restaurant. Or we can close down.”
As of right now, the owners are required to remove everything from the property at 7889 E. 22nd St.
To keep up with any updates on the situation, visit thepittucson.com and follow The Pit on Facebook and Instagram.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
