Zocalo Food Truck Park Continues Growth as a Community Gathering Space

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When Jesus Gonzalez and Sean Phelan opened Zocalo Food Truck Park in 2019, it was the first permanent multi food truck park Milwaukee. What started as supportive space for food entrepreneurs to test their concepts has grown into a vibrant community space. Recent renovations to The Tavern and a new indoor venue, The Shop, allows Zocalo to host comedy nights, DJs, flea markets and more.

The Zocalo team worked with design-build firm Three Sixty to redesign The Tavern, the indoor space where Zocalo’s guests can grab a drink and hang out. Changes include a fresh coat of paint in warm primary colors, offering a welcoming reprieve during Wisconsin’s long winters. Improved indoor seating includes booths and custom-built furniture.

An upstairs loft area features an intimate, cheery lounge that offers an escape for quiet conversation or dates. It can also be rented for parties. 

Operations manager Rudy Montoya has worked in the bar industry for the past decade. He had moved to Milwaukee from Illinois last year, and he’s excited to bring his expression and creativity to the cocktail menu while offering as many options as possible for guests. 

“People eat with their phones first,” Montoya quips. “They can take a picture of their drink and post about us.” He keeps pairings in mind: the Spicy Cilantro Margarita pairs with food from Mazorca Tacos, the food truck at Zocalo that’s owned by Gonzalez. 

The Chai Espresso Martini features Chai Liqueur, a specialty from Milwaukee-based Twisted Path distillery. There’s also lots of boozy or fruity drinks. Guests can choose from the menu or have the bartender customize a drink to their tastes. “It’s all about options,” Montoya emphasizes. “We have a set menu, but we’re very open to interpretation and can play around. It’s like art.”

The beer menu features Wisconsin craft beers, along with Miller and PBR. Wine drinkers can enjoy varietals from Proverbs Winery.

The Tavern now offers table service, and Montoya adds that bar staff have more opportunities to interact with guests. “We want this to be a third space for people, someplace outside of their home and workspace where they can be comfortable and be whoever they want to be.”

The Zocalo team loves playing with new ideas. Gonzalez points to a wood barrel-shaped structure on their lot that is home to Hot Spell, one of their latest partnerships. Hot Spell offers a Nordic style sauna experience at Zocalo and at Lakefront Cold Plunge PopUps.

The Tavern regularly hosts music nights, flea markets, a farmers market and trivia nights each Wednesday from 6:30- to 9 p.m. Across the lot in The Shop, a heated, renovated building that was once a mechanic’s garage when the property had served as a used car lot, hosts comedy nights on the third Saturday of each month. The Tavern and food trucks are open during all events.

Zocalo Food Park also has stylish, heated outdoor huts available via reservation.

A Launchpad for Food Entrepreneurs 

Zocalo’s current food truck vendors include Ruby’s Bagels, who has been with Zocalo from day one; Hotbox Pizza; Mazorca Tacos; Anytime Arepa, with Venezuelan arepas and empanadas; Modern Maki, specializing in sushi; and Las Virellas, offering Puerto Rican fusion dishes.

Since opening, Zocalo has been a launch pad for successful food vendors. Former vendors include Dairyland Old Fashioned Hamburgers, which is now an anchor at 3rd Street Market Hall and is paying it forward there by managing “hawker stalls” that serve as incubators for local chefs.

Scratch Ice Cream, makers of traditional and vegan ice cream, have enjoyed rapid growth since launching at Zocalo and at Crossroads Collective.

“We have to stay consistent as to what we’re offering,” Gonzalez says. “We want to let people know they belong here and that it’s a safe space, a third space. We continue to bring in the best food entrepreneurs in the city.”

Zocalo Food Park is accepting applications for their new food incubator program that begins in spring 2024. The participant gains access to a food trailer supplied by Zocalo, along with thorough business guidance. Gonzalez says the ultimate goal is to get the participant in a position to purchase their own food truck. Food entrepreneurs that are interested can email youbelong@zocalofoodpark.com.

“I look forward to providing opportunities for the community and for food entrepreneurs to come in and share their ideas and visions for the food stories they want to tell,” Gonzalez says.

For more information, visit zocalomke.com.