By Doha News Team

Organic coffee, Thai ice cream rolls, Indian chapati and poori, and local fusion food will be among the cuisines on offer when six food trucks open at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park in “the coming weeks.”

The trucks were chosen as part of an initiative by Qatar Museums (QM) and Qatar Development Bank.

The goal is to support local entrepreneurs while bolstering one of Doha’s most popular recreation spaces, the groups explained in a statement.

In an announcement today, QM said the trucks will include a re-purposed hop-on Doha Bus, which will sell Qatari fusion food and drinks.

The other mobile outlets are:

• Coffee-Bike: This mini-chain, which already has outlets in locations including The Pearl and Doha Festival City, will provide organic coffee, juices, smoothies, sandwiches and desserts.
• Dareen Sweets: Serving sweet and savory biscuits, cakes and drinks, this store is already popular at Souq Al Wakrah.
• Ice Rolls: The Thai concept that already has a stall at Gulf Mall will offer park customers rolled ice cream in cups.
• Burger and Burmait: American food with a local twist will be on offer here, using locally sourced ingredients. The start-up already featured its wares at Chi Al-Shiqab earlier this year.
• Poori & Karak: Here, Indian chapati, poori and parata sandwiches will be served. The MIA Park outlet will be the fifth in the country for the mini-chain, which already operates in Muaither, Al Gharafa, Abu Hamour and Al Wakrah.

QM described the winning businesses as “some of the best new arrivals on the Qatar food truck scene” and said they will open in the coming weeks.

“Additional food operators will be selected for future QM sites in the coming months,” it added.

Long-awaited

Local foodies have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of food trucks at MIA since QM opened the application process in June 2016.

At that time, it sought five trucks with a planned October 2016 launch. However, the project did not take off then.

Qatar’s food truck scene has been expanding in recent years.

Its first truck is operated by Burgeri, which tours the country offering gourmet burgers and hot dogs to hungry residents.

Cafe #999, outside Doha Fire Station, also has a truck. And other foodie ventures run pop-up stalls across town, particularly during the annual Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF).

Last December, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) sought to expand the market of mobile businesses.

It invited local entrepreneurs to apply to be one of 12 companies offering roaming food, beauty services and service repairs around Doha.

MIA Park is already popular with local foodies, thanks to its weekly bazaar. It features lots of home cooks and bakers keen to sell their wares.

Will you visit the new food trucks? Thoughts?