Several new food options coming to Stanislaus County town, thanks to one group
A group of Stanislaus County entrepreneurs is making both a food truck court and a restaurant come alive.
Amarjit Singh Malhi, Andy Sanchez and Deep Gill are the players behind Ceres Grub Hub, a 16,000-square-foot food truck court that won unanimous approval from the city to build in southwest Ceres.
Juan Manuel Ruiz Jr. is the owner of two popular taco trucks stationed in Modesto and Turlock — Tacos El Viejon — and is opening a third, which will be stationed in Ceres Grub Hub.
That’s not all. The food truck court shares a 58-spot parking lot with Sharps Cannabis Co., a dispensary owned by Singh Malhi, Sanchez and Gill.
That’s still not the end of it. All four businessmen are partnering to open a brick-and-mortar version of Tacos El Viejon next to Flyers, a gas station and convenience store owned by Gill.
Still with me? Here’s how it’ll all work out.
It started with a cannabis dispensary
Singh Malhi’s and Sanchez’s fathers owned businesses next to each other on Crows Landing Road in the 1980s and the two grew up as neighbors.
They became partners when they decided to open their first dispensary together around six years ago, and they brought Gill into it when they opened Sharps in late 2023.
Prominent Ceres businessman Shane Parson, who owned the property Sharps sits on, as well as the adjoining lot, approached the trio about buying the whole property.
An agreement was made that Parson would help get the food truck court approved by the city and the three would move forward with the purchase.
“We’re trying to create an atmosphere, we’re trying to create a business that’ll bring people and bring families to a cool place to come hang out and come eat,” Sanchez said.
There will be free games like cornhole and pingpong, arcade basketball and other arcade games.
Sharps Cannabis Co. has its own security, and the grub hub will have additional security, Singh Malhi said.
There are 13 confirmed food trucks that will be in the court:
Antojitos Sinaloa — aguas frescas, fruit cups
Betzy’s Aguas Frescas — aguas frescas, michelaguas
Crabs in Ur Pants — Seafood boil
Dog-N-Out — loaded fries, gourmet hot dogs, loaded baked potatoes
E & C Mexi Teriyaki — Teriyaki plates
Kona Ice — Shaved ice
La Vida Dulce — Sweets
Las Katrinas Cocina Mexicana — Mexican cuisine, fusion
Love at First Slice — New York-style pizza
PS Cutea — Boba
Tacos El Viejon — Tijuana-style tacos
The Mac Box — Gourmet macaroni and cheese, smash burgers
Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck — coffee, energy drinks
Ceres Grub Hub will be open at 4040 Farm Supply Drive within a month, Sanchez said. Its hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, though individual food trucks will make their own hours.
Trio adds one more business partner to the group
Ruiz Jr., owner of Tacos El Viejon food trucks and soon-to-be restaurant, has been “cooking all (his) life,” he said.
His mother owned Junior’s Kitchen in Patterson and the family members would always cook together. The salsa served at Tacos El Viejon is his mother’s recipe.
A Modesto native, Ruiz Jr. moved to San Diego at 18 for a while before coming back to his hometown. While down south, he was influenced by a different style of taco — Tijuana style.
He brought the idea back to Modesto and started cooking his tacos for friends at home. They feature prime sirloin steak cooked over mesquite, handmade tortillas and a dollop of guacamole.
“One of those friends told somebody they knew from the Bay Area and they came down and did a video,” Ruiz Jr. said. “It just took off from there.”
The first Tacos El Viejon truck opened in summer 2023. It’s parked at 604 Sixth St. in Modesto. Since, a second truck has been opened at 1125 N. Golden State Blvd. in a Turlock, and a third will soon be at Ceres Grub Hub.
When Singh Malhi, Sanchez and Gill learned that a restaurant next door to Gill’s station was for sale, they jumped on the opportunity to buy it. They brought in Ruiz Jr. after seeing how well his taco truck was doing and the group entered into an equal partnership.
The Tacos El Viejon restaurant, at 1240 W. Whitmore Ave., will open in the next couple of weeks, pending inspections. Its hours will be 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. to accommodate truck drivers, farmers, commuters and other early birds in the area.
For more information, visit instagram.com/tacoselviejon209.
This story was originally published May 23, 2025 at 10:21 AM.
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