Alexandra couple Neil Cameron and Jenny Simmons got what was left of the cart from former owners Lynne Giles and Trevor Lyons after it burnt down about 15 months ago and an insurance payout was not enough to save it.
Their intention was to turn it into a mobile shed or hen house but they discovered the fire damage was not as bad as they thought.
Since then they have been restoring it while planning how they can get it back on the streets.
Mr Cameron yesterday said ''it's definitely going to happen'' and the rebuilding was ''pretty much done''.
''It's going to come back.
''We won't give up.''
He said they had had about 100 people approach them to say ''just get it back'' which was encouraging.
After being knocked back by the Vincent Community Board in March the couple have decided they will wait until after the upcoming local body elections before trying their luck again.
The board had voted 4-3 to decline the couple's application to operate the rebuilt pie cart from its former site in Centennial Ave.
Mr Cameron said they had considered locations in Queenstown, Frankton, Wanaka and Cromwell for the pie cart but decided it had to be in Alexandra. They had four sites in mind, but he declined to say where they were.
In March, Central Otago District Council property officer Brian Taylor told the board the ''unacceptable late-night conduct'' of pie cart patrons had led to complaints from residents and was seen as a factor in vandalism.
Central Otago police sub-area supervisor Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk told the board reports of wilful damage in the central business district had decreased by 62% and disorder incidents by 66%, compared with 2011 figures.
