Food & Beverage

Albuquerque food truck operators express frustration over fines

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January 23, 2026

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Several Albuquerque food truck operators are expressing frustration after receiving multiple citations from city inspectors including parking fines, operating outside designated hours and noise violations, according to a report by KRQE.

Skylar Wallace, co-owner of Las Chanclitas 3, said these citations took up all of their profits on one evening. Ivan Estrada, the other co-owner, said that rules preventing them from parking on Central Avenue adds further stress.

"You know, our sales have been dropping down a lot, you know, since they moved us all the way to the back. We probably lost more than 50% of our revenue since they displaced us from Central," Estrada said.

Mark DiMenna, deputy director of the Environmental Health Department, said these citations are meant to balance protecting the community and helping food trucks.

"We have to balance all of these issues for the community and make sure that while we are concerned and trying to help the food truck operators be successful, we also have to make sure that other folks that are downtown and enjoying the entertainment area are also safe and provided for," DiMenna said in the report.