Lakewood’s Tijuana Taco has closed, but the crunchy tacos have a new life. Here’s where
When Tijuana Taco’s owners posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page last summer that they were considering shrinking the hours of their 49-year-old restaurant and turning it into a mobile operation, their diners protested so loudly, its owners changed their mind.
More than six months later, the same problems remain an issue for the brick-and-mortar restaurant that serves Mexican-American fast food. It’s similar to a Taco Time with a menu of tacos, tostadas, taquitos, chalupas, burritos, nachos and enchiladas.
Business has been rough lately, and a recent norovirus outbreak didn’t help, say the owners.
“It’s hard for the one lone business guy surviving. It’s payroll and food costs, and there are no other Tijuana Tacos to back us when it’s been a rough month,” explained Kelli Van Scyoc-Gomez, who operates the restaurant with her husband, Robert Gomez.
Her parents, Rocky and Sharon Van Scyoc, founded the restaurant in the summer of 1969.
Once again, the family announced on the restaurant’s Facebook page they would close the brick-and-mortar location, which they did on Sunday (March 17).
Here’s the upside: The restaurant will continue — it’s just going to have a steering wheel.
Tijuana Taco will go entirely mobile with the taco truck they’ve been operating for some time as an extension of the restaurant.
While business at the brick-and-mortar location has been sluggish for some time, the food truck has been busier than the owners can keep up with. And it’s profitable.
So they’re expanding their one traveling taco truck to three and will operate as a mobile caterer, as well.
“The food is made at the restaurant. It’s taken and delivered. It’s already done,” said Van Scyoc-Gomez. “It’s very fast and quick. Instead of waiting in line, we’re able to get through a 100 people in a half hour.
“He goes in, sells the food and then moves on to where the next location has requested him. He’s sold out by 2 p.m. It’s really an exciting and amazing thing.”
Her husband Robert drives the taco truck.
She added, “If nobody goes to your restaurant, you can’t pick up your restaurant and move, but if you’re in a truck and there’s nobody there and you can’t get any traction, you can move on in 20 minutes.”
The truck’s streamlined menu is smaller than the restaurant’s, which makes prep time shorter and easier, she said. On the truck, they serve burritos, tacos, taquitos, beans and rice. However, the full menu is still available through catering, said Van Scyoc-Gomez.
Van Scyoc-Gomez said the family thinks their mobile success is related to how diners have changed their habits.
“Everybody is in a hurry and have places to be. Everything is about how much can you get done in a short amount of time. That’s why people are calling in through Uber and why the trucks are so popular,” Van Scyoc-Gomez said. “We actually can’t keep up. It’s very exciting to know that once we have several trucks going, it’s going to be constant.”
Their current taco truck has them zigzagging across Pierce County with a busy route. They plan to turn one of the trucks stationary somewhere in Pierce County when it’s ready to roll in the next few months. They’re serving at local breweries and special food events, too.
Will the doors ever open again at Tijuana Taco in Lakewood? The family owns the land and plans to continue using the location as its commercial prep kitchen.
“We’re going to build up to see what we can get back what we’ve lost through the years. We can always look at things to change things in the future, but my gut says this is the right direction for our future,” Van Scyoc-Gomez said. “This is what today’s people need. They need quick fast food brought to them and that’s where we’re going to be successful.”
Tijuana Taco
Info: 253-431-1089 or bit.ly/2OilSW5
This story was originally published March 22, 2019 at 11:00 AM.