Mitote Food Park, first piece of Roseland revitalization project, officially opens

Complete with shaded picnic tables, colorful murals and authentic Mexican food, the Mitote Food Park, a mecca for locally owned food trucks, celebrated its opening Thursday in the heart of Roseland.

Already a source of pride for the predominantly Latino community around it, the food truck park is meant to be a cultural gathering spot and a place where Latino businesses can get their start. It’s believed to be the first Mexican food truck park in Northern California.

The Mitote Food Park marks the first installment of a long-promised project to revitalize the 7½-acre Sonoma County-owned parcel off Sebastopol Road into a mixed-use commercial and residential village.

The Mercadito Roseland, located in the former Dollar Tree, is part of that project, giving local vendors an opportunity to sell traditional goods from Mexico, such as beaded jewelry and leather shoes.

Though the food truck park had a soft opening two weeks ago, Thursday’s grand opening gave community leaders a chance to highlight the spot as the first piece of Tierra de Rosas, the county revitalization project, in the works for more than a decade.

More than 100 people attended the official opening, listening to music, dancing, sipping mezcal and dining on Oaxaca cuisine under papel picado, colorful punched paper banners used as decorations.

Janet Sanchez, one of the mercadito sellers, cheered during the ribbon-cutting ceremony and enjoyed a drink with her husband and business partner, Armando Vasquez.

The food park has already drawn many new visitors to their business, Sanchez Artesanias, she said.

Sanchez described how the neighborhood years ago was not in good shape. Poor and considered a “really bad neighborhood,” Roseland was filled with good, hardworking people who lacked legitimate economic opportunities.

“This was like a dream 24 years ago,” she said, beaming. “I’m very thankful. They gave us an opportunity to start our business.“

Santa Rosa and Roseland community members and leaders on hand for the celebration included Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Coursey and Santa Rosa Vice Mayor Eddie Alvarez.

“This was a dream that kept breaking our hearts,” said Eddie Alvarez, who described the long-promised project as a culmination of “undeniable strength” from the Latino businesses, and of a community who has rarely been heard for over 150 years.

Now, “our voice has never been bigger,” Alvarez said.

“This is a project that demonstrates that yes we can, and yes we did ― and we’re gonna do more,” Alvarez said. “This is only the beginning.”

Owner and operator of the food park, Octavio Díaz, said his goal is to boost Latino- and women-owned businesses, such as Las Victoria’s Tacos, one of the food trucks that sells traditional Mexican street food.

Marcos Suarez, business diversity program manager for the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, stressed that both the food park and mercadito serves as an incubator for Latino-owned businesses, connecting them with resources to grow stronger, designed “to give opportunities for people who just want to have a go at it,” Suarez said.

That’s why Díaz was chosen in 2020 by MidPen Housing Corporation, which will lead the affordable housing project on the plot, as the owner and operator, Suarez said. Combined with his experience and community involvement, he has “the vision” of what Tierra de Rosas could be, Suarez said.

Díaz, who immigrated to the U.S. from Oaxaca, Mexico, when he was 13, has run several successful food businesses in the county that feature traditional Mexican cuisine. He and his brother, Pedro Díaz, run El Farolito and the Agave Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar in Healdsburg, as well as their Mexican supermarket, Casa del Mole Mercado and Carniceria in Healdsburg.

“We started in 2018 with one truck in the parking lot,” said Díaz, who thanked the city, the Sonoma County Community Development Commission and everyone involved in the park’s creation.

Since then, the Mexican food trucks have grown to at least four: Lucha Sabina, La Victoria, Maria Machetes and Gio y Los Magos.

Díaz has hosted community-led events since the food park opened, including a Sunday farmers market, weekly Redwood Empire Food Bank distributions, the SoCo Marketplace every first Saturday, the Mural Project, live music from local bands, the BiblioBus and a monthly pet vaccination clinic from Compassion Without Borders, said Albert Lerma, the Mitote operations manager.

The word “Mitote,” Díaz said, derives from an ancient Indigenous and Aztec round dance, and it means a party or gathering that brings the community together “for good times and lasting memories.”

“Now, we're very happy and thrilled to be here doing what we do best, which is making great memories for people,” Díaz said.

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8511 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.