In 2020, brothers Omar and Ivan Galvan took a gamble on a red taco truck. Five years later, they were running three trucks and, in early 2026, opened their first brick-and-mortar taproom and beer garden in Cotati.
They’re hardly alone. Food trucks and pop-ups that built loyal followings at brewery patios — fueled by Instagram and repeat customers — are increasingly using that momentum to make the leap. The pandemic accelerated the trend: Sonoma County rules required breweries to serve sit-down meals to pour beer, and without kitchens, many turned to trucks. Almost overnight, tasting rooms became casual, family-friendly gathering spots with tacos, picnic tables, kids, and dogs.
For fledgling food businesses, that built-in audience has become a workaround to the soaring cost of opening a restaurant, which can easily top $1 million in Sonoma County…