Rome First United Methodist opening its parking lot to food trucks; Speakcheesy open for service tomorrow.

In order to better utilize their facilities, Rome First United Methodist Church at 202 E. Third Ave. in Downtown Rome is opening its parking lot to food trucks for Sunday brunch. First up, new local food truck Speakcheesy will be open, serving food from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday and again from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

“Speakcheesy will be the pilot of, hopefully, many food trucks to use the space. Rome First is providing the parking and space, and Speakcheesy will bring a host of cheesy menu items. All are welcome,” says Evan McElreath, director of Youth and Mission at Rome First UMC. “What better place to have Sunday brunch than a church parking lot.”

The church will have Speakcheesy on location for the next few weeks and has plans to host at least one food truck per week for the next 13 weeks. McElreath says Rome First is open to having more food trucks on location, and hopes to create another space for Romans to enjoy downtown.

“We want to be better facilitators of our space,” McElreath says. “With such an influx of churchgoers on Sundays, the downtown area is at no loss for people looking for good food for brunch. We hope we can use their large parking lot to better serve Romans looking to enjoy downtown.”

Lead pastor Rev. Robert Brown says the church is open to having people use their parking lot to park and enjoy downtown shopping, concerts, and parades. “If they show up for Sunday service, that is a bonus,” he says.