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Fate Of Pleasanton Taco Truck Up In The Air After 18 Years

PLEASANTON (KPIX 5) – There is an emotional battle heating up over a long-running neighborhood taco truck in Pleasanton.

The owners say a dispute with a nearby business could shut down their operation.

For 18 years, Nelly Ramirez has operated Nelly's Taco Truck on Vineyard Avenue at the edge of Casa Real Event Company at Ruby Hill Winery.

Now the city is ordering it to stop doing business at its spot on Vineyard Avenue after complaints from Casa Real.

In January, Ramirez said someone from Casa Real approached her and said she needed to move.

"...they said my customers are dirty looking people, poorly dressed, 'it's making my business look bad, my business dropped because of all these people,'" she said.

Knowing she was on public property and having the proper permits, Ramirez chose to stay. That's when the city got involved, saying her truck was causing traffic problems.

"This was the first time, I had never had complaints from the city before, nothing," she said.

Reluctantly, she moved across the street, which she says will put her out of business as parking in rainy months is impossible here since this field turns to mud.

Livermore resident George Mount was biking by on Friday and said, "It really was a hazard."

Mount says he didn't complain to the city but he's glad someone did.

"They were in the paved part of the lane, made it so you had to go out into traffic so I support them moving out of the bike lane," Mount said.

Casa Real would not provide someone to go on camera but released this statement: "We do not wish to see Nelly's taco truck's business harmed by this event. However, we do feel the need to protect the safety of our property and guests who visit us."

Casa Real has been at the location for 9 years.

Ramirez's supporters worry she is getting pushed around. "Here you have someone with some influence in the city forcing someone to do something that's not right - vacate public property," said Pleasanton resident Randy Frost.

Nelly says she doesn't know where her truck will ultimately end up.

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