Taco chain expands in Lakewood, new Tacoma pilates studio, plus more biz news
Taqueria El Antojo, a regional Mexican food chain, is set to open a new location in Lakewood at 8814 South Tacoma Way.
The restaurant has a “coming soon” banner attached, but it’s unclear when the official opening date will be.
A permit application for the new location was submitted with the City of Lakewood in October 2025. El Antojo did not provide more details to The News Tribune.
The fast-casual chain serves taco plates, quesadillas, burritos and more, and stays open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
El Antojo has an existing location in Lakewood at 11916 Pacific Highway SW #1034, as well as two locations in Tacoma.
People’s Pilates opens in Central Tacoma
This local pilates studio opened another location in Central Tacoma on Jan. 21. The new studio is at 2501 S. 12th St.
People’s Pilates offers group reformer, mat and spring wall classes, along with outdoor reformer classes, saunas and cold plunges, according to its website.
The Central studio has a range of classes available, including hot pilates, hot yoga and restorative yoga. The Central Tacoma location will host two Black History Month pop-up hot mat pilates classes on Feb. 13.
New McDonald’s planned for Pac Ave
Site development plans have been filed for a new McDonald’s on the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 38th Street in Tacoma, as The News Tribune previously reported.
A pre-application was first filed for 3801 Pacific Ave. in 2024, detailing plans of a McDonald’s restaurant with a drive-thru and 47 parking spaces. The new site would take up around 3,600 square feet.
The timeline for the new McDonald’s is unknown.
Tacoma has nine other McDonald’s restaurants. The closest McDonald’s to the proposed site on Pac Ave is about two miles away at 2916 S. 38th St.
General contractor opens downtown Tacoma office
Seattle-based general contractor BNBuilders has opened a new office in downtown Tacoma, 1145 Broadway, according to a press release.
In recent years, BNBuilders has worked on multiple projects in Tacoma, including renovations at Oakland Secondary School.
“Tacoma isn’t a new market for us — it’s a place where we’ve built trust over time,” said Dan Huber, BNBuilders principal, in a press release. “Opening a local office allows us to be more present for our clients, more engaged in the community, and better positioned to support the region’s continued growth.”
Shaquille O’Neal-owned chicken franchise closes Tacoma spot
Big Chicken, an international chain co-founded by NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, has closed its doors in Tacoma, as The News Tribune previously reported.
The fast-casual restaurant was at 2601 N. Pearl St and first opened in 2024.
It served fried chicken sandwiches with toppings like mac n’ cheese, cheese curds and onion rings. The menu included tenders and milkshakes.
Signs posted on the Tacoma storefront last week read, “We have permanently closed our doors. Thank you for the memories and for supporting us.”
Big Chicken has four other Washington locations in Seattle, Renton and Mukilteo.
General store on Pierce County Island closes after nearly 50 years
Anderson Island General Store, the island’s sole grocery store and gas station, closed Tuesday, as previously reported by The News Tribune.
The store experienced decreasing revenue and couldn’t keep up with the cost of operation. It had been on the island for nearly 50 years.
Anderson Island has 1,500 full-time residents, but that number increases by thousands during the summer.
A local customer told The News Tribune that the closure was “devastating.”
Tacoma brewery closes; will open larger location this year
The Redd Dog closed its taproom in Tacoma on Jan. 31 with big plans for the future, as The News Tribune previously reported.
The dog-friendly, self-serve beer bar was at 2805 6th Ave. and first opened in 2021.
The Redd Dog plans to open a new brewery that will replace the former Black Fleet Brewing at 2302 Fawcett Ave. The new Redd Dog will serve Mexican food and include an outdoor beer garden.
It’s slated to open in spring or summer of this year.
This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 5:30 AM.