Albuquerque food truck owner warns of licensing delays hurting small businesses

Angelique Schwegler says the hardest part of running StuffedLust Sopapilla Company is not cooking or serving customers. It is waiting for the City of Albuquerque to clear the paperwork that lets her family food truck legally show up at the next event.

Schwegler, who owns the business with her family, said her application sat in the Planning Department queue for weeks and that she was told staff were still working through April filings after she submitted hers on May 5. She said the delay matters most for small operators tied to seasonal festivals and public events, where a missed approval can mean a missed payday.

That has direct financial consequences for StuffedLust, a New Mexico domestic LLC organized on August 21, 2018 with a food-truck purpose centered on festivals and events. Schwegler said she wants to attend Route 66 SummerFest, set for Saturday, July 18, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Nob Hill along Central Avenue from Girard Boulevard to Washington Street. The free mile-long street festival is expected to draw large crowds with live music, food trucks, shopping, kids’ activities and show cars, and Schwegler said the business could make about $10,000 there.

She said that kind of revenue does more than cover one weekend. It helps pay workers, keep the truck moving and feed taxes back into city and state systems. When a renewal stalls, she said, it can leave owners unsure whether they can hire, stock inventory or commit to an event schedule.

The city says the licensing system changed on January 1, 2025, when Albuquerque moved from business registration to a business license program. Officials say the annual license still costs $35, but the new process adds zoning and fire inspections for public safety and accountability. Business owners must apply to renew at least 10 days before expiration, and all Planning Department applications must now go through ABQ-PLAN, with POSSE and AVOLVE no longer available.

City information says the online system allows applicants to track filings and upload documents, and that some licenses can be issued in as little as two days. Renewal applicants also must include a current dated New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department Registration Certificate with the physical business address.

Schwegler said she wrote to Mayor Tim Keller and then posted about the delay on social media, after which the city called her and told her the renewal would be handled in a timely fashion going forward. For small businesses that depend on fast approvals to keep cash flowing, the issue is bigger than inconvenience. It is whether Albuquerque’s licensing system can keep pace with the city’s own festival economy.