Rocky Mountain Taco Truck Finds New Home at Avon Home Depot

Jose Reza knows the sound of a gravel truck backing up. He’s heard it for years. But now, the rumble means breakfast burritos.

Rocky Mountain Taco, Eagle County’s original taco truck, has moved. It’s no longer parked outside Vail Mountain Brewing. It’s parked at Home Depot in Avon. Specifically, in the Traer Creek Plaza, next to Walmart.

The truck opens at 7 a.m. every day. It stays open until 7 p.m. The menu is the same full spread locals have eaten for over a decade. You want the alambre bacon and steak mix? It’s there. You want the “Hippy Crack” vegetarian potato taco? It’s there.

This isn’t a random move. It’s a rescue mission.

The founders — Reza, Chris McGinnis, and Dan Purtell — started the business in 2015. They parked that first truck outside Vail Mountain Brewing. That arrangement changed. The truck lost its home. For months, it wandered. No new spot. No fixed schedule. Just a truck looking for pavement.

Now, it has a roof. A Home Depot parking lot.

Home Depot is a strange place for a taco truck. But it works. It’s a semi-permanent location. It’s reliable. And it puts food in front of people who are already buying tools and lumber. You’re buying a drill, you’re buying a burrito. The synergy is undeniable.

The business has evolved. In 2020, they opened a brick-and-mortar spot in Minturn. They’re not just a truck anymore. They’re a brand. But the truck is still the heart of it. It’s how they stayed afloat when the brick-and-mortar rent got too high or the location shifted. This Home Depot deal keeps the wheels turning.

While the taco truck finds stability, the Vail Valley Partnership is busy collecting awards.

They won a Communications Award of Excellence from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). It’s a national group. Over 1,600 members. The Vail Valley Partnership is one of 12 winners.

The award is for their sustainable tourism campaign. The website is theydidwhat.org. The Spanish version is quehicieron.org. It launched in 2025, created in 2024. It’s a joint effort with the Basalt Chamber of Commerce.

The goal? Tell visitors and residents how to adventure responsibly. Protect the local spots. Don’t trample the grass.

A 16-judge panel called it “beautiful, fun, creative and bilingual.” They said it feels authentic. It’s inclusive. It’s a 360-degree campaign.

Local agency Hyfyve built it. Founder Dennis McMahon said it was a “heartfelt reminder” that he can take better care of the place he loves. Everyone can learn something. That’s the pitch.

The 12 winners will now compete for Best in Show. The results drop in New Orleans on July 21. At an awards show. With champagne and speeches.

Meanwhile, in Gypsum, Velvet & Sage opened a clothing store. It’s at 620. That’s the address. That’s the new retail reality for the valley.

Three stories. One valley.

The food truck was homeless for months. Now it’s at Home Depot. That’s a pivot. That’s survival. That’s business.

The Vail Valley Partnership isn’t just talking about sustainability. They’re getting paid for it. By a national association. With a panel of judges. It’s validation. It’s marketing. It’s real money in the form of prestige.

And Velvet & Sage? It’s just opening. We’ll see if it lasts.

The local economy isn’t a monolith. It’s a patchwork. A truck. A website. A clothing rack.

That’s the Western Slope. You adapt. You move. You survive.

The Home Depot lot is paved. The tacos are hot. The tourists are reading the bilingual guide.

It’s working. For now.