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Las Palmas food wagon coming to J’ville site By Tony Boom Nov 25, 2022 12:45 PM A A Las Palmas Mexican Cuisine in Jacksonville will operate from a food truck until the restaurant is rebuilt following a fire in September. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Las Palmas Mexican restaurant is returning to Jacksonville two months after a fire forced it to halt operations. The restaurant will have a food wagon next door to the damaged location. Jacksonville City Council last week approved a measure to allow placement of the wagon as an exception to city rules, which don’t allow food trucks. The truck will be parked on Fourth Street beside the former Jacksonville Lumber Company, which closed about four years ago. “I had been approached by a lot of people saying, ‘We want to have you guys back in here, at least with a food truck,’” said Luis Rodriguez Jr., restaurant manager. Operations will begin next week, possibly as early as Wednesday, he said. Days of operation will be Tuesdays through Saturdays, beginning at 11 a.m. Closing times will be determined by customer traffic, but service will cease by 8 p.m. at the latest. Working out of a food truck isn’t new for Las Palmas. It had one for catering events that also sets up in Ruch several days per week. The restaurant was working to complete a second wagon when the fire struck the food prep area in the early morning hours Sept. 27. After the fire, Las Palmas accelerated work on the 20-foot-long vehicle. In a letter to the city, Rodriguez said he expects most clientele will be doing takeout orders, but they could also use the restaurant’s outdoor space. With kitchen size limitations, a reduced menu will be offered, rather than the full restaurant’s offerings. Rodriguez said parking shouldn’t be an issue because the same spaces as before are still available. Noise from the food truck will be less than that generated by the restaurant, he said. “There’s a big, wide opening there between them and the lumber yard,” City Administrator Jeff Alvis told the council. “We thought this would be a nice way to help them.” “We are going to try to keep everyone on. That’s part of the plan, trying to keep everyone on both food trucks and keep them employed until we can figure the restaurant out,” said Rodriguez. The restaurant has 14 employees and has been bringing them all to catered events. That worked well last Saturday when Las Palmas catered the opening of the new Jacksonville fire station. From the food truck, they served 465 plates after being told to plan for 200. “We’re keeping the truck at Ruch, doing catering, anything that comes our way. We are doing anything that is within our reach,” said Rodriguez. Smoke abatement has been done in the building, but actual reconstruction must wait for insurers to assess the situation. Because of that, Rodriguez said he can’t give a reopening date for the restaurant. The restaurant had looked into occupying a former service station across California Street from their location, but that didn’t work out, Alvis said when explaining the situation to the council. Rodriguez asked to operate the food truck at the location for six months. Council approved the measure unanimously, calling for a review after six months. Rodriguez said he hopes to be back in a renovated space within six months, but is not giving out any definite date for occupancy. The restaurant had traditionally closed Christmas and New Year’s Day, then usually for a week early in the new year. A decision on whether to operate at that time is still up in the air, said Rodriguez. Students at Jacksonville Elementary School put on a fundraising barbecue Oct. 15 to benefit the restaurant. Rodriguez has two children who attend the school. Luis Sr. and Margarita Rodriguez purchased the business in 2002. Luis Jr. and sister Lupe now operate the restaurant while their parents assist. Luis Jr. served as lead cook for 10 years. His brother-in-law, Miguel Riviera, now does much of the cooking. The city also has extended a helping hand to two other businesses affected by the fire, Country Quilts and Trotting Fox Boutique, which both suffered smoke damage. Temporary use of the 1881 Old City Hall on Main Street was arranged so the businesses could sell their inventories. Old City Hall sees less use for city business since the renovation of New City Hall was completed and public meetings moved there. The two businesses have signed agreements to use the city space through the end of the year, Assistant Administrator Stacey Bray reported. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].