Business & LaborFood

Good News, Sergio and Bertha’s Fort Bragg food truck finds home! Thanks Purity!!

BREAKING: Taqueria La Oaxaqueña Finds New Home at Purity Market

FORT BRAGG — The long-running saga over where Taqueria La Oaxaqueña would land appears to have reached a happy resolution. Sergio Lopez told me tonight that the Johnson family — owners of Purity Market — have invited his and Bertha’s beloved gourmet Mexican food truck to set up in the Purity parking lot beginning this week.

The move gives the popular Oaxacan‑inspired truck a stable home after months of uncertainty and community concern over its future. For many locals, the truck has become both a culinary anchor and a symbol of the growing strength of Mexican‑owned businesses on the coast.

Lopez said the family is grateful for the Johnsons’ support and excited to continue serving their loyal customers from a central, accessible location.

More details to come as the transition unfolds

I met Sergio many years ago when fixing up my 1953 Packard and Sergio was one of the counter staff at Napa Auto Parts. Several of them were big helps and we exchanged a few laughs as the project dragged on and on. Then I heard Sergio had left Napa Auto Parts to live the dream of owning your own business, fittingly for Sergio, with a motor and wheels!

They’re a very popular food truck. Then came the upsetting news that there was a conflict with the neighbors on Redwood Avenue, where they’d been parked since opening. We know everyone involved and wish the best for all of them. Food trucks have always stirred debate — brick‑and‑mortar restaurants are essential to local jobs and the economy — and concerns were raised at the City Council about noise, parking, and other impacts. During the pandemic the city actively encouraged more food trucks, and they’ve since provided not only business flexibility but a whole lot of great eats.

People were parking cars where the truck had been parking. One day, I found the truck up the block. We were worried that this conflict would hurt good people on both sides. Then, the truck moved over by Purity Market, where others apparently objected. The city only allows them to be on blocks where there are no businesses and only in certain places.

We think Randy Johnson, an owner of Purity Market, wins the smart‑move award here. A food truck in that parking lot is a perfect fit — and honestly, the more the merrier. There’s already a Mexican grocery across the street and Los Gallitos, one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in the region. Sure, businesses compete, but the real competition is getting people to stop at the smaller places in the first place. More choices bring more customers, the same principle that makes food courts and outlet malls work.

How about Fort Bragg comes up with a new idea — a food‑truck row that takes business away from no one. Let’s gather up all the food trucks and give them a home out on the Coastal Trail or near the entrance to Glass Beach. Add a communal picnic‑table area and plenty of trash receptacles, and suddenly, instead of an eyesore or an argument between business owners, we’ve created a Food Truck Row destination. Think bigger, Fort Bragg.

The food truck will be across the street from Los Gallitos, which went from a strip mall hole in the wall to one of Fort Bragg’s busiest. eateries. Los Gallitos specializes in take out and its merry bar scene.

Los Gallitos was having a huge celebration tonight for their anniversary, and we made a video.

We have reprinted part of a discussion in the local foodie Facebook site, Ron’s Restaurant Reviews. Note, we are reprinting a social media discussion. The name of the previous speaker is listed as the first word, as is customary on Facebook.

Ron’s Restaurant Reviews

Megan Caron  ·

If you haven’t tried Taqueria La Qaxaquena yet, you really ought to!

Everything Sergio and Berta make is absolutely delicious.

We loved having them parked on Redwood Ave, but unfortunately some people do not want food trucks near their businesses, and are forcing them out.

The city is having them to move to Alder st (even though they have a legal permit to park on Redwood) You can find them there in the meantime.

Mendo Love

The City of Fort Bragg California is making them move because two business owners are being brats?This is absolutely ridiculous and shouldn’t be happening. City of Fort Bragg,this is wrong.

Megan Caron

Unfortunately, the merchants that are harassing the food truck are parking their cars everyday where the trucks permitted spot is in an ongoing attempt to keep the food truck away

And they are not permitted to park in front of the Larry Spring museum, just a half a block up.. which is where we would like them to be.

Unfortunately, there is a legal process that the city has to follow..

Maya Reed

Megan Caron shame on those business owners! If the truck has a permitted spot, then there should be no argument. So lame

Heather Baird

Megan Caron too bad they can’t roll right up on that vacant lot right there on the corner of

Heather Capps

They could collaborate if they were smart. Offer discounts to the food truck for anyone who shops at their store

Donna Beach Winkler

I got a burrito today , delicious as usual. They’re at the corner of the Purity parking lot on the street . I was there maybe 10 minutes waiting and six people walked up to order 👍👍👍👍♥️

Polly Lynn

The generator running is aan issue for the store owners which is understandable

Megan Caron

Polly Lynn

When they’re on the other side of our hedge, I don’t even notice it..

And it is the central business district.. there will be sounds.

Jay McMartin-Rosenquist

Megan Caron they tried to find a quieter generator but the one they have is the quietest they could find after shopping around this week

Kayleigh Jane

Lots of Room in the Harbor to park down there!

Judy Valadao

Kayleigh Jane Why should they have to move from their permitted location? They aren’t blocking the view because a vacant lot has no view.

Kayleigh Jane

Judy Valadao it appears they already have moved; I didn’t ask them to move, nor do I support the City of Fort Bragg making them move; I simply think Coastal trails or Beach access points would be a great place for people to park their trucks to attract business! I am all for anyone trying to make a living here! I definitely was speaking generally and not about this specific situation as I do not know all the details but it sounds pretty awful from what You described, really sad to see this happening!

Rebecca Jarman Warnock

Yes I would not want them in front of my business. There is a place for food trucks and it’s not in front of someone else’s business

Evelyn Bishop Anderson

Rebecca Jarman Warnock they’ve been parking in front of an empty lot. What’s that hurting?

Rebecca Jarman Warnock

Well they are taking up their customers’ parking

Megan Caron

Rebecca Jarman Warnock

They are taking up two parking spots on one city block, which mostly consists of a vacant lot.

East Redwood Ave. has very few businesses and there is usually available parking, with the exception of special event days. 

Heather Baird

Some of the most delicious tacos in town

Sara Yanez

My favorite

Vance H Cooke

and they are very nice love these people

Kevin Scanlon

I hope they are there this fall.

The name of the truck refercnes a Mexican state, known for its culinary traditions.

Oaxaca is a state and city in southwestern Mexico, located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the south. It is renowned as a cultural and culinary capital known for its, colonial architecture, indigenous traditions, and proximity to the Monte Albán ruins

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Frank Hartzell

Frank Hartzell has spent his lifetime as a curious anthropologist in a reporter's fedora. His first news job was chasing news on the streets of Houston with high school buddy and photographer James Mason, back in 1986. Then Frank graduated from Humboldt State and went to Great Gridley as a reporter, where he bonded with 1000 people and told about 3000 of their stories. In Marysville at the Appeal Democrat, the sheltered Frank got to see both the chilling depths and amazing heights of humanity. From there, he worked at the Sacramento Bee covering Yuba-Sutter and then owned the Business Journal in Yuba City, which sold 5000 subscriptions to a free newspaper. Frank then got a prestigious Kiplinger Investigative Reporting fellowship and was city editor of the Newark Ohio, Advocate and then came back to California for 4 years as managing editor of the Napa Valley Register before working as a Dominican University professor, then coming to Fort Bragg to be with his aging mom, Betty Lou Hartzell, and working for the Fort Bragg Advocate News. Frank paid the bills during that decade + with a successful book business. He has worked for over 50 publications as a freelance writer, including the Mendocino Voice and Anderson Valley Advertiser, along with construction and engineering publications. He has had the thrill of learning every day while writing. Frank is now living his dream running MendocinoCoast.News with wife, Linda Hartzell, and web developer, Marty McGee, reporting from Fort Bragg, California.

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