Madras’ first-ever designated outdoor food truck and restaurant area, The Spot, is designed as a place for people to feel welcome and get food that they normally wouldn’t be able to get in the city.

That’s the vision of Andre Jackson, a 51-year-old entrepreneur who received $510,000 in taxpayer money to help build the taproom, food and event center. The investment from the Madras Redevelopment Commission included a $60,000 grant and $450,000 in loan funding.

Three years ago, Jackson began his search for the right conditions and location for a place like this. He wanted to be a part of a community. He wanted a place where everyone, from teens to seniors, would feel welcome. And he wanted to serve food that no one else was serving. The vision is The Spot, which opened more than a week ago.

“I’m just me answering a call to come here and build this, and I believe in it,” said Jackson. “My purpose is to share my talent, my ability and skills.

“I understand what it means to live here in Madras and what the community wanted regarding a place they feel comfortable in and that offered a variety of food that didn’t exist.”

Located at 225 S. Fifth St., The Spot is a venue featuring outdoor fire pits, food trucks, a full-service kitchen that can serve up a steak dinner, and a two-story bar with seating both upstairs and downstairs, Jackson said.

Food trucks include Fusion City Grill, (gyros, burgers and Philly cheese steaks) and Fridaa’s Boat (fish-n-chips and other seafood fare). The taproom features local beer and cider.

Nick Snead, Madras community development director, said the city hopes the investment will create the kind of place that residents and visitors will go to rather than drive to Redmond or beyond for food. The city conducted a survey several years ago and realized it was losing out on nearly a million dollars in tax revenue from people going to other cities to dine out, Snead said.

The city of Madras has been working on this concept since 2022, Snead said. And now with Initiative Brewing just six blocks away, both on major streets, the city hopes to provide dining options that would allow it to capture tax revenues from travelers and locals, he said.

“These things take a long time to get off the ground and get completed,” Snead said. “It’s been a long time coming. One of the things identified in the city’s urban renewal action plan is that we had a lack of dining options.”

“The Madras Redevelopment Commission’s investment in The Spot is part of our ongoing mission to revitalize key areas of Madras, support local businesses and create new jobs,” said Gabriel Soliz, commission chairman, in a prepared statement. “This is exactly the kind of project we’ve been working toward — encouraging economic growth in our downtown, and making Madras a place where people want to be, and we’re proud to be a part of that.”

Jackson plans to host events at the venue, including a grilling competition. The restaurant has a Wolfgang Puck-trained chef serving salmon BLTs and steak dinners, Jackson said.