New food truck oasis coming to former CD Source plot in Loves Park

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — A new venture from a local restaurateur is designed to turn the plot of land once home to CD Source into a hopping hub for food, drinks, music and other entertainment.

Carlos Rosario, the owner of Carlito’s Munchie Station, is turning the empty plot of crushed gravel at 5723 N. Second St. into a food truck oasis, or food truck yard as they’re sometimes called. His business will join with Sizzlin’ Suzie’s, Nana Mia’s and other food trucks and retail vendors in a gated area next to Lisa Frost’s mural honoring the Loves Park Ski Broncs.

“With everything we’re trying to do, we’re just trying to incorporate the community into it,” Rosario said. “I hope that it brings a lot of good to the community. I hope that a lot of people take advantage of this.”

More eat and drink: Benny’s to open 2nd and 3rd locations at former Machesney Park Mall and former Johnny Pamcakes

Rosario is now serving food from his taco truck intermittently while the rest of the site is set up. He hopes to have the full oasis open by mid-May.

He’s also in talks with Ritche’s Smokin’ BBQ in Machesney Park and other vendors to join the space.

It’s a new concept for the area, but Rosario expects it to catch on.

“There’s a lot of these in Arizona; there are food truck yards in Texas. These are things that are coming up,” he said. “The food truck industry is one of the biggest booming industries out there.”

During weekdays the yard will serve as a spot to catch a bite to eat, but it will come alive on weekends with a variety of special events.

Rosario hopes to have live music, comedy shows, karaoke, and family events such as character parties on the grounds.

“I even thought of a Loves Park’s Got Talent for people to come and show what they’ve got if they don’t get a chance to do it out in the real world because they don’t know where to start,” he said.

More in Loves Park: Easy Tiger, a new restaurant with a summer vacation vibe, to fill former Ojeda’s

Rosario received a liquor license to serve within the gated open air plot.

While normally open for families and people of all ages, he said he plans to have the space restricted to those ages 21 and older from 9 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

“Think of it as this: Me and my wife want to go somewhere without our kids. We’re going on a date night,” said Rosario, a father of three. “We can enjoy beautiful scenery, the music, the lights, and no running kids.

“We don’t want to discourage people coming with their kids, but we also want to offer the nightlife for young adults, older adults, couples, to come out.”

The hours are expected to be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The hub is licensed to operate from March through December.

“We had 50 degree weather in December this past year,” Rosario said. “My idea was to incorporate those igloos. … Come out here, get some food, hang out, get some drinks, and enjoy the outdoors in a heated bubble.”

Rosario is leasing the space from CD Source owner Brian Bowman with plans to purchase the property. CD Source, which was located inside the former Park Theatre, was destroyed in a fire in September 2022 and then demolished. It’s now located across the street at 5704 N. Second St.

This is Rosario’s third venture in the food industry. He formerly owned Carlito’s Tacos & More in Machesney Park and Mi Gordito in Loves Park, which is now El Paraiso. He uses the commissary kitchen at Rockford City Market to prepare the Mexican dishes for his latest venture.

“I may have fallen down with the first restaurant and the second restaurant, but things happen for a reason,” said Rosario, who said he left an $80,000-a-year-job to pursue this project. “This is a venture that I know is going to work.”

He said the food truck yard gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to launch their business without large overhead costs.

Nate Bruck, the city’s economic development and planning manager, said trucks can be a successful launching pad for a brick-and-mortar restaurant. That was the case for Easy Tiger, which is set to fill the former Ojeda’s later this spring or early summer.

“If it’s successful, they’re going to want to stay, they’re going to want to stay in the community,” Bruck said. “If they make that transition to brick-and-mortar, they’re going to want to stay in the area.”

The food trucks at Rosario’s site obscure part of the view of the Ski Broncs mural for drivers passing by on North Second Street, but Rosario hopes the food truck oasis will attract more people to come appreciate it up close.

“I never, ever had the intention of blocking that mural,” he said. “It’s a beautiful mural. I love it. It’s something, in my opinion, that is going to be one of the most viewed murals out there because there will be people staring right at it.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas