New food truck park to open up this summer on Milwaukee's west side

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A new food truck park is opening up just in time for the summer months on Milwaukee's west side.

The owner of the restaurant 'Triciclo Peru,' Mario Diaz, said the inspiration for opening a food truck park came about during the pandemic, when the lot in front of his business was used to pick up take out.

The park will be located near N 38th St. and W Vliet St., directly in front of Triciclo Peru.

"We saw a lot of potential in this, in this land," he said.

'Minka', as it will be called, means 'market' in Quechua, an indigenous Peruvian language that's become the country's second most spoken language. Diaz said these markets were community spaces for the Incas and he hopes to provide that same safe space for local up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

“I started a business being a food truck owner and I know how hard it is to be a food-truck operator because you have to manage...a lot of things, you have to decide cooking and selling food, you need to have a web page you need to, you know, (have a) marketing campaign... we are going to be in charge of all those services and just, the food truck operators can be focused on their job," he said.

Diaz said the project is divided into two phases.

"Starting this June, we are going to have eight food trucks over here, plus a bar, indoor seating...and then, phase two, we are going to activate that building that is (the) primary focus in big groups, private events, weddings," he explained.

The idea is to have the food trucks open six days a week and cater throughout the lunch and dinner hours.

Over the weekend, Diaz said he hopes to host pop-up farmer's markets to support other local businesses as well.

"Food, I think, is a bridge to our countries, I want their success like I did...a lot of spaces like this, where they have a lot of potential just with some ideas and collaboration can turn into something great," he said.

The owner said the walls of the acquired buildings are expected to be painted into beautiful, colorful (and even Instagrammable-worthy) murals.