photo credit: Michelle Marques
Mitote Food Park, January 21, 2025

 Over the past few years, Santa Rosa's Mitote Food Park has become a popular destination for authentic Mexican food and community in Roseland. The space accommodates individual food trucks, a bar and a large dining area.

But over the weekend, Mitote operators said the food park will close at the end of January.

In a social media post, Mitote operators say the coming closure is due to an expedited construction schedule for a long-planned development called Tierra de Rosas.

Michelle Whitman, executive director of Sonoma County’s Community Development Commission, describes her reaction to seeing that social media post.

“Surprised. Because I hadn't heard that from the lessee operator," said Whitman.

Whitman says the county planned to end Mitote’s lease in June.

“Their lease termination notification stated that - and it was sent on December 11th - that we were exercising our option requiring 180 days’ notice to terminate the lease. And so 180 days from December 11th was, and is, June 9th. And that's the true lease termination that they've been given," Whitman explained.

So why are there two different dates being talked about as the end of food trucks operating at Mitote Food Park? Whitman is unsure.

“I don't know why there would be a discrepancy. It's pretty clear to me, what the termination date is, and I think was very clear to them," said Whitman.

KRCB News visited Mitote Food Park on Tuesday, where over a dozen customers were enjoying a late lunch on a sunny afternoon.

A woman named MJ explained why she brought her friend to eat there.

“I love it. I think the food is very authentic, very different from truck to truck. Delicious. And I'm gonna be really sorry that they're leaving," said MJ.

Her friend Dee, who was visiting the food park for the first time, agrees.

“I was shocked when we got here and the number of trucks that are here with very different food, and like, every one of them has a little bit of a nuance to the other," Dee said.

Mitote's closure disrupts several food truck businesses that rely on the park's established customer base. The food truck owners say they are actively searching for temporary locations while hoping to maintain their popularity.

Community members want to keep Mitote Food Park open. A petition has garnered nearly 2,000 signatures in support.

While the county maintains its plans for the Tierra de Rosas project, the food park's operators say they are looking at relocating, possibly within the new development, as there is a portion of the development set aside for a food park or Mercado,but Whitman says the operator told her the site is not big enough for Mitote.

Whitman told KRCB News that on Friday, January 17th, Mitote's owner asked county staff for a meeting on Tuesday morning, but then cancelled, saying they would communicate via email. As of late Tuesday afternoon, Whitman says no emails had been received. Octavio Diaz, Mitote’s main owner and operator, has not yet responded to KRCB News requests for an interview. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, January 21st, Mitote food truck operators declined interview requests.