Food Trucks
Jesús González, owner of Mazorca Tacos Food Truck, located at the corner of First and Pittsburgh, and Sean Phelan, president of Phelan Development, have partnered to expand on the solid dining scene in the Walker’s Point neighborhood by opening a food truck park. Zócalo Food Park (636 S. Sixth St.) will host five diverse food trucks, a tavern, outdoor and indoor seating and on-site parking. There will also be an incubator food truck program that gives local food entrepreneurs opportunity to test their food concepts.
Food truck parks, or courts, have been mainstays in cities like Austin, Texas, and Portland, Ore., and over the last couple of years, Oklahoma City and Asbury Park, N.J., welcomed their first food truck parks. González and Phelan note that Zócalo will serve to connect the community as a gathering place for individuals, friends and families while adding another element to Milwaukee’s culinary landscape through a curation of food trucks and the incubator food truck program.
Zócalo’s food concepts include four food trucks, a rotating seasonal food truck and the incubator food truck. The four confirmed regular food trucks are Bowl Cut, an Asian rice bowl concept; Fontelle’s, a burger concept from the creators of FreshFin Poké; Mazorca Tacos, handcrafted tortilla tacos; and Scratch Ice Cream, made in small handcrafted batches.
Zócalo’s 2019 incubator is Ruby’s Bagels, featuring made-from-scratch bagels. “There are many food entrepreneurs in Milwaukee with great ideas, which is why we started our incubator food truck program,” states González. “This is where we play a role in nurturing food start-ups. We will provide an equipped food trailer for them to use. We will share our experiences and mentor them along the way to ensure they are supported and do not feel alone on their entrepreneurial journey. Cultivating an ecosystem that fosters the next leaders in the culinary, art and music community is a key pillar of Zócalo. We are super excited to have Ruby’s Bagels as our inaugural incubator recipient.”
Zócalo’s Tavern offers curated craft cocktails and beer paired with the foods of Zócalo’s food entrepreneurs. Along with the food and drinks, Zócalo will host several events and pop-ups throughout the summer and fall.
The site is on a lot near South Sixth and West Pierce streets formerly owned by Mike Eitel of Caravan Hospitality Group. Eitel had previously operated the nearby Nomad Nacional, a pop-up bar that was open during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“Zócalo’s consistency in location and hours of operation provides a great platform to build connections and lasting relationships between food enthusiasts and food entrepreneurs,” Phelan adds.
For more information and updates, visit facebook.com/ZocaloFoodPark.
