近距离内射合集

For vendors at ABQ Food Park, the site provided something rare in the food truck business: a consistent home base.

That will soon cease to exist, as the park is set to close May 31. The closure is a result of the property at 6901 San Antonio NE being under contract to be sold, according to Aaron Giesler, senior pastor of Grace Church, the parcel鈥檚 longtime owner.

鈥淭he decision to sell came as an opportunity presented itself that we felt was wise to pursue,鈥� Giesler wrote in an email. 鈥淯ltimately, it allows us to better focus our resources on our mission of connecting people to the life-changing grace of Jesus Christ.鈥�

Giesler said the property鈥檚 buyer is a developer, though he declined to share who it is or what their plans are for the property.

The food park鈥檚 sudden closure comes as a blow to its roughly seven vendors, who serve everything from Mexican street tacos and smash burgers to ice cream, Mexican snacks and desserts, and Japanese, Indian and Vietnamese cuisine.

鈥淏usiness has been really good for all of us there, and to get that news, when all our trailers are doing the best, was a very devastating moment for all of us,鈥� said Ramon Sanchez, who owns 143 Snacks food truck with his girlfriend, Jessica Zubia.

For Zubia, being a vendor at the ABQ Food Park has been a family affair. Her mother, Lilia Valenzuela, runs one of the park鈥檚 other food trucks, Takoroto.

鈥淲e鈥檙e sad because we already have our customers and all that. That鈥檚 our only income that we have. Me and my husband work there; we don鈥檛 have another job,鈥� Valenzuela said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 hard because we don鈥檛 know what we鈥檙e going to do.鈥�

Valenzuela said she and her husband launched the venture to be self-sufficient while also spending time with their children. After the first few months in business, the couple grew tired of moving the truck from spot to spot and were drawn to the longer-term options offered at ABQ Food Park.

鈥淚t feels like home,鈥� Valenzuela said. 鈥淲e have friends, not only customers, but friends with the other food trucks.鈥�

Building relationships, engaging with the community and revitalizing a previously underutilized portion of property were Grace Church鈥檚 goals when launching the food park. The church has owned the food park parcel, a little more than 1 acre, since 1995.

At one point, the city was using the property as a recycling collection site, which Giesler said created challenges for the church and its neighbors. He said the idea for the food park was born from conversations about using the site for 鈥渟omething more meaningful and beneficial for the community.鈥�

The church officially launched the park, formerly called Pacific Rim Food Park, in October 2022, where it rented spaces to vendors monthly. Over time, Giesler said the venture required more staff than the church could sustain, so it outsourced management to a park manager.

鈥淲hile the food park was never intended to be a profit-generating venture 鈥� and ultimately was not 鈥� it was a meaningful learning experience for us,鈥� Giesler said.

Salena Allison, owner of The Brain Freezer ice cream truck, said the food park 鈥渒ind of went downhill鈥� after the management change. But convenience continued to be a benefit of the site, which is just off Interstate 25.

鈥淵ou take the good with the bad, and you just keep moving forward,鈥� Allison said. 鈥淭he food park was there when I really needed it.鈥�

Giesler said closing the food park is 鈥渂ittersweet鈥� and that the church is 鈥済rateful for what the food park has meant to many,鈥� including serving as a stepping stone for local entrepreneurs.

While vendors like The Brain Freezer have plans to keep business going through events and even venture into brick-and-mortar locations 鈥� Allison will be opening her first shop in Corrales in August 鈥� others are still figuring out their next move.

Several vendors flocked to social media this week to announce the closure, thank the community for support and ask for tips or leads on spots for relocation.

To Sanchez鈥檚 knowledge, there aren鈥檛 many places like the ABQ Food Park in the city. There鈥檚 plenty of spots for food trucks to temporarily set up, he said, but not many places where they can collectively set up for good 鈥� with power and water. Even temporary spaces are likely to be taken, Sanchez said, as the summer food truck season is already underway.

鈥淲e all want to try to stick together, if possible, but it鈥檚 a little hard with the notice that they gave us,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very heartbreaking deal for us.鈥�

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.