A new food truck park called Bench Racers is coming to St. Charles at 1801 N. 2nd St. Co-owners and married couple Andy Stark and Stephanie Lai say the new dog-friendly spot will provide music and outdoor seating.
Located not far from the Katy Trail in a 1940s former gas station 1-acre site between Main Street and Highway 370, as of July 2025, Bench Racers is considered a contributing structure to the local, Central Historic District.
"What started as just a family project to renovate an old Texaco gas station turned into an expanded business idea as a bookend to the historic Frenchtown area," Andy says.
This St. Charles couple say they noticed the building was declining and thought it would be fun to turn it into something positive for the future. Since October 2023, they've worked with local construction companies to convert the building and lot into an outdoor event space.
"The name Bench Racers comes from our family’s love of cars and racing in hopes the new event space will also become a gathering spot for automotive events," Andy shares. "The space will host a rotating lineup of food trucks, barbecue and a beverage bar inside the gas station."
Stephanie adds, "We're also maintaining the surrounding green space while giving the community a place to enjoy community events and even sports or movies on a big-screen TV. We hope to be a place to slow down, tell stories and make new memories, especially including furry friends.”
Andy says they also plan to build a stage behind the garage to host live music acts.
At press time, Bench Racers was working through additional construction plans and was expected to launch during spring 2026.
A New Race To Food Trucks Is On
The 1940s-era Texaco gas station in St. Charles' Frenchtown district, located at 1801 N. Second St., is being transformed into a new food truck park called Bench Racers. The station, which operated until the 1970s, was later used by Moore Oil Co. for office space and oil storage before being purchased for the food truck park development. The original 1,600-square-foot building is being restored to its 1940s condition by co-owners, married couple and St. Charles residents Andy Stark and Stephanie Lai. Monitor their progress and events via Facebook@benchracers or Instagrami@benchracers.stc.