Maìz’s food truck and catering operation continue in Denver, even as its Globeville restaurant has closed. Maria Rangel confirmed the storefront’s closure on September 24; the business that began on wheels is still serving customers from the truck.
A Recipe That Started on Wheels
Rangel launched Maìz as a food truck in 2021, building the menu around a gordita recipe she learned from her mother-in-law, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, according to Westword. The fresh corn masa gorditas had rotating fillings, including beans and cheese, roasted pork carnitas, asada grilled steak and seasonal vegetables. Westword reported that a corn-and-squash version was among the truck’s top sellers and that its green chile was popular.
The truck earned a citywide distinction in 2023, when Westword named Maìz the Best Food Truck in Denver. In 2025, Rangel expanded into a storefront at 3900 Elati Street in the Assembly Student Living student housing community. Maìz’s website says the business makes its gorditas from fresh corn masa and lists its location as The Assembly Student Living Space.
From Storefront to Community Fixture
The Globeville restaurant also became a gathering place, with walls covered in murals by local artists, according to the reporting. Its role as a neighborhood space gave the storefront’s closure significance beyond the end of a place to buy gorditas.
Rangel said the storefront’s closure does not mean Maìz is ending: the truck remains in operation, and catering continues selectively, according to the reporting. The truck’s website also tells customers it serves different locations around Denver throughout the week.
Neighborhood priorities and truck requirements
For broader context, the City and County of Denver’s Globeville Neighborhood Plan identifies transit access and a safe, multimodal Brighton Boulevard corridor as neighborhood priorities. Separately, Denver’s Mobile Retail Food Truck, Trailer and Cart Guide says food trucks, trailers and carts operating in the city must have a Retail Food Establishment-Mobile license.
The Name Dispute Behind Milpero
A separate naming dispute involving chef Johnny Curiel and the Fonda Fina hospitality group also drew attention to Maìz. Curiel initially planned to name his masa-focused tasting-menu restaurant Maize. Rangel raised concerns that the name was too similar to her restaurant’s name and website and could confuse customers, Westword reported. Curiel’s restaurant is now called Milpero.
In the Instagram message about the Globeville closure, Rangel described it as the end of a chapter and acknowledged she did not have all the answers. She also made clear that Maìz would continue, with the storefront closing while the truck-based business carries on.
