Round of musical chairs for Plaza food vendors
Vendor shake-up after Santa Fe opens application process to sell food around historic area
For most folks, a hundred yards or so isn’t a notable distance, especially on the Santa Fe Plaza. Yet for Roque Garcia, it feels like a move across town. A staple on the Plaza for 33 years, Garcia’s food cart, Roque’s Carnitas, has migrated through the square for decades. But he acknowledged a move to a new corner has him concerned and some customers confused.
“They come and say, ‘Ah, I’ve been looking for you,’ ” Garcia said.
He sits on a stool next to his grill parked on the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and West Palace Avenue. A customer tells him she’s happy that she found him after realizing his old corner — between San Francisco Street and Old Santa Fe Trail — is now occupied by Balam’s Burritos.
The city, which regulates food vendors on
the Plaza, recently made changes after opening applications to any food cart that meets a variety of requirements, including a taste test by a panel of judges. Six vendors were chosen to line the Plaza sidewalks for the next year, but there are no guarantees the locations will remain the same.
Some longtime vendors found themselves shuffled around and are adjusting to the change.
Garcia said his daughter forgot to put in his application with the city on time, which he said may have prompted his move to a different corner. Although he hasn’t seen a difference in his sales numbers yet, he said he is worried about the ability for regulars to order carnitas, move around the Plaza, then pick up their food.
“I can’t do nothing about it, but I wish I could change it,” he said. “I think it’ll be OK if the weather is nice and we get the tourists.”
Messages requesting comment from the city and its constituent services office, which handles vendor applications, were not returned.
Balam Lemus would rather be in his old spot as well, but is not too worried — he said his track record on the Plaza is an indication of the quality of his food. Whether he is on one corner or another, Lemus said he gets to share a piece of the city with people and offer a little love in the form of food.
“I don’t see this as work; I see this as an opportunity to interact with people,” he said. “Food is a prayer.”
El Molero Fajitas is continuing on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and East San Francisco Street. Daniel Calderahas been feeding people on the
Plaza for about 20 years, he said.
One of Caldera’s regular customers and a friend, a man named Clouds on Fire, said Caldera is giving people more than just a delicious, affordable meal.
“What you’re tasting is the goodness and love he puts in his food,” he said. “It’s not about the money, it’s about the love.”
Mixed with these older familiar staples, there will be some new offerings, including a cart for ice cream sandwiches — and a taste of Africa.
Moustapha Idrissa, originally from Niger, moved to Santa Fe in 2016 from Washington, D.C., to learn agriculture and water treatment in arid landscapes at Santa Fe Community College.
He needed a way to earn money while working an internship and taking classes. Through trial and error and a lot of help from others, Idrissa started selling food inspired by West African cuisine at farmers markets. Lemus then encouraged him to apply for the Plaza.
“I was told, ‘You’re wasting your time,’ ” he said. “All these people being afraid of the Plaza was good for me.”
Now, he is preparing to open his cart, Mafe Cafe, selling a fusion of New Mexican and West African food, such as lamb kabob burritos or chicken tacos with African spices, while also offering vegan and gluten free options.
“I came to New Mexico with nothing in my pocket,” he said. “I’m not the kind to give up or get discouraged.”