Rockefeller Center – Vintage Citroen HY

• Vintage Citroen HY
• 14′ (L) x 6.5′ (W) x 7.6′ (H)
• Hardwired for shore power, 100AMP GFCI with 110V and 240V option
• Compact, self-contained 8.5-gl clean tank and 8.5-gl grey tank.

• Engineered for a full hot-and-cold culinary menu.
• Commercial Turbofan convection oven
• Double fryer stationed
• Dedicated ANSUL certified extraction hood.
• Cold storage – refrigerated chef’s base, countertop prep rail
• High-capacity backbar cooler for rapid beverage service

Rockefeller Center is one of the more iconic high traffick pieces of commercial real estate in the world.

When the Rockefeller Center reached out to us they wanted to activate a pedestrian terrace overlooking the main plaza, and needed a vehicle with enough aesthetic appeal to command attention. Partially inspired by the brilliant Ralph’s Coffee truck, the solution was a fully restored Vintage Citroën HY.

Rather than building a single-use vehicle, we designed this Citroën to serve as a highly versatile, plug-and-play asset for rotating rentals and high-profile brand activations. This operational flexibility allows the property to seamlessly host a diverse roster of top-tier tenants.

Initial partnerships showcased the true range of the vehicle’s design. It successfully housed a full culinary activation by Frenchette, utilizing the truck’s high-draw commercial oven and fryers, but has also been used for a.o. the popular Other Half Brewing Company.

For Other Half, the truck transformed the terrace into an exclusive “Private Beer Garden,” offering locals and tourists a highly photographable, high-end space to grab craft beverages and light fare.

High-end plaza activations require a delicate balancing act. The unit needs to be visually striking enough to draw immediate foot traffic, but it also has to navigate the strict logistical realities of parking on pedestrian stone pavers.

By utilizing an original Vintage Citroën shell, we provided the client with a massive, eye-catching visual footprint without the crushing payload weight of a modern commercial box truck. We finished the exterior in a sleek, muted metallic grey. The truck feels like a natural, permanent architectural extension of the Rockefeller plaza rather than a temporary pop-up.

This is not just a light kitchen, but a fully functional, high-draw commercial kitchen packed into a vintage shell. It proves you can fit a fryer, an oven, and full refrigeration into a tiny Vintage Citroën without blowing the breaker box.

The Citroën HY successfully anchors to several sites at the Center.

It proves to commercial developers that with the right vintage charm and premium custom fabrication, mobile infrastructure can seamlessly elevate even the most prestigious, historically protected real estate in the world.