The intersection of Valley Road and US Highway 6 in Gypsum is usually busy, but there are days when several drivers stop at one of the six food trucks at the intersection.

Itzy Hernandez, the owner of Itzy’s Coffee, has been working at the intersection since she was in high school. She started as a barista at Gracie’s Coffee before buying the business and rebranding it. She said she has seen good growth over the past few years.

“The more people learn about the possibilities, the more they want to try it,” Hernandez said. “We’re building a community here between these companies.”

On a recent Monday, Jackie and Thomas Fraser were eating lunch at Tacos y Mariscos El Pariente. Thomas Fraser is a firefighter at Gypsum and a frequent visitor to the food joint, which now has half a dozen trucks and trailers.

“I’ve tried them all; there’s nothing I wouldn’t order,” he said. And while there are busier and busier days, he said, “more and more people are finding out that it exists.”

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Rocky Mountain Taco is also a popular truck – or actually trailer – at the intersection.

Dan Purtell, co-owner of Rocky Mountain Taco, said customers had long told him and his partners they wanted a location further down the valley but had trouble finding a spot. But the owner of the property at the intersection came forward and a deal was made.

“It’s across from the high school and looked pretty promising,” Purtell said.

Gypsum’s busiest intersection is the hub for mobile food vendors, but there are others scattered throughout town.

There’s Full Belly BBQ near the Interstate 70 interchange. Backcountry Wings and Pork Station have spaces, including a cornhole facility, near Cowboy Catering’s operation on Glider Way, and Pizza Station’s operation is near Eagle River Brewing on Airpark Drive. Cowboy Kitchen has a truck set up next to AutoZone near Costco.

The increasing popularity of trucks is partly due to urban building regulations.

“We think it’s a difficult valley to start a business in,” said Jeremy Rietmann, Gypsum’s city manager. Rietmann, who worked for the Vail Valley Partnership before joining Gypsum, noted that, given the cost of rent, giving young or small entrepreneurs the ability to be flexible — and in some cases literally mobile — can help them separate good ideas from bad.

“It’s an opportunity for people to try out businesses on a small scale and get to know the market,” Rietmann said.

According to the city’s ordinance, mobile vendors can set up their booth and park their vehicles in any non-residential area, meaning these vendors can maintain a constant presence.

“You can’t disappoint (customers) too often, otherwise they’ll choose the next place,” Rietmann said.

Another important factor is the fact that Gypsum is changing. It was not long ago that the city was a sort of dormitory town.

“There are a lot more people in town during the day in recent years,” Rietmann said. Given the expansion of businesses near Eagle County Regional Airport, there are “a lot more people in town during weekdays than you would expect,” he added.

More people mean more opportunities. And more opportunities mean entrepreneurs flocking to the city to see if they can capitalize on those opportunities.

“It has potential,” Purtell said.