The first pushcart vendor has begun serving lunch for those interested in eating their lunch outside along Westbrook’s boardwalk.

Chicky’s Coop, an offshoot of the nearby Chicky’s Fine Diner, has opened for business as the first vendor on the boardwalk.

The stand opened for business last week, hoping to take advantage of the warm summer weather and people wanting to spend their lunch hour outside.

Matt “Chicky” Staples, who owns Chicky’s Fine Diner and Chicky’s Coop along with his business partner Blake Smithson, was manning the stand on Monday. With a bright, red umbrella providing shade and the Presumpscot River as a backdrop, Staples said he was happy to be outside on a sunny summer day, and he was pleased with how things were going.

Staples said he sold three sandwiches during the first 90 minutes he was open, and he heard from a number of people who said they had already made lunch plans, but now that they knew about the cart, they would be back.

City Councilor Brendan Rielly said he was happy to see Chicky’s Coop open for business. “I think it’s great,” he said.

Staples said he and Smithson decided to apply for a pushcart license from the city after noticing lunchtime crowds at the restaurant went down during the summer. Staples said they decided if they opened a pushcart location along the river, they would be able to capture the business of the people who just didn’t want to go inside for lunch.

“We opened the restaurant last spring and we noticed that summer was sleepy for lunch because everyone wants to sit outside,” said Staples. “So we decided there has got to be a way that we could sell food out here.”

After looking into it, Staples said he and Smithson applied for a permit from the city. That permit was approved by the City Council this spring, but Staples said they were not able to get the cart up and running until this week. The cart, which has a rippled metal front and sides, was designed and built by Smithson to resemble a chicken barn.

Rielly said having vendors like Chicky’s along the boardwalk fits in perfectly with what the city intended. He said the boardwalk was intended to generate foot traffic along the river and into downtown Westbrook, and the addition of vendors along the boardwalk can only help to generate that traffic.

Having Chicky’s Coop on the boardwalk is a good start, said Rielly, who added that he would like to see a couple of other vendors selling things like ice cream and lemonade to round out the offerings along the boardwalk.

Since Chicky’s was the first to apply for a pushcart permit from the city, Staples said they had their pick of one of three locations along the boardwalk that the city has set aside for pushcart vendors. They chose what they felt was a prime spot, along the river right on Bridge Street. “This the best spot,” he said.

Rielly said while the city wants to see vendors along the boardwalk, it set a limit on the number of vendors permitted to set up shop to make sure there is no congestion. “You don’t want to clog the boardwalk,” said Rielly. “You want people to be able to walk.”

Staples said right now, he plans on keeping the stand open until Labor Day, but he said if business is going well, he might keep it open for a few weeks longer.

Currently, the menu features cold sandwiches like ham and turkey sandwiches as well as chips and soda. Staples said he is looking to expand the menu as the summer goes on. “I’m working on hot dogs,” he said.

Down the road, Staples said the menu might expand even further. “We’re just going to build the business as it comes along and see what people want,” he said.

Chicky’s Coop will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The stand is located on the boardwalk right next to Bridge Street.