Paul Street food truck plaza to return as Fifth Quarter eyes major growth as city food hub
One of the food trucks Little Vietnam on the plaza at Paul Street. Picture: David Creedon
Food trucks are set to return to the Fifth Quarter from this weekend as part of an ambitious growth plan by Paul Street Shopping Centre to position the area as a central food hub within the city centre.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Orla Morton of Paul Street Shopping Centre and the Fifth Quarter said old favourites that operated from the plaza before its closure in June are set to return to the area on Friday, July 24, as part of a pilot summer programme which will run until the end of September.
The new scheme, run in collaboration between Cork City Council and the Fifth Quarter, will bring music, dance and local businesses to the space in addition to returning food offerings, Ms Morton said.
Following the closure of the food truck plaza last month, Cork City Council said it was open to engaging with interested parties to develop good ideas that improve the overall city centre experience, provided they are delivered in a compliant manner.
"All boats rise with the tide, and businesses across the Fifth Quarter went up when the food trucks were here," Ms Morton told the Irish Examiner.
"Many were sceptical at first but quickly saw the benefits of them being here, with daily footfall rising by an additional 5,000 people. We want this to be a community hub for people, where vendors can thrive, and customers can experience the best of local businesses."
Cork City locals were quick to lament the closure of the popular food truck plaza, which hosted Cairo2Cork, Truffle Dog, Little Vietnam and Churros. The plaza, located in front of Paul Street shopping centre, is operated by Holren Properties Ahall Ltd and began operations in late 2025.
Its return is just the tip of the iceberg for the budding area, which has undergone extensive refurbishment in recent years following the shopping centre's sale in 2023. Since the acquisition by Holren Properties, the centre has welcomed several new businesses spanning hairdressers, jewellery shops, and cafes, with an extended food offering at the forefront of its priorities.
Last year, the shopping centre received the green light to transform the vacant first floor of the building into a state-of-the-art food court, comprising four new kiosks and an expansive seating area.
Works have already commenced on the ambitious project, which will also see the upstairs ceilings raised to allow for uninterrupted light and views of the Fifth Quarter from above.
The work does not end there, however, with fresh plans by Holren Properties submitted this month to the city council seeking another food court on the ground floor of the shopping centre.
The downstairs area, spanning units previously occupied by Twilight News and O'Briens, is set to become an open food area with six kiosks under the new plans, with hopes both food courts will be open by Christmas.
Both are being designed by Dublin-based 21 Spaces, headed by interior designer John Henry Boyle, who, among other projects, worked on the flagship Life Style Sports store in Cork, Butlers Chocolate and Dublin's Alex Hotel.
"We want to become the go-to foodie hub for the city centre," says Ms Morton.
"This is not about competing with anyone else. We at the Fifth Quarter want to carve out our own niche that celebrates local offerings, good food and community. It's not just about the shopping centre. It's about our neighbouring businesses, it's about the French Quarter, it's about every single business operating in the area."
In addition to its food offering, additional retail space in the form of pop-ups and stalls is being grabbed up by small business owners looking to cash in on the footfall of the shopping centre, which, according to Ms Morton, can reach up to 60,000 people per week.
"We've already had massive success from by Colour Me Co and Colourpop Brunette. Laura Fitz Art has just moved to a full stall after the success of her pop-up. We have Mercedes coming in next week to show off its cars. We have a vendor waiting list for our food courts already filling up.
"There's so much happening across the Fifth Quarter, and the possibilities are endless," Ms Morton added.
"We are bringing in a product that is unique to us, with local and Irish business owners at the forefront of what we want to do."
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