By Ben McCarthy
Taco Naco co-founder Brian Goldman Ruiz can remember searching Crick Camera Shop on 7715 State Line for a traditional, analog camera twenty years ago.
“They were there forever,” Ruiz says. “I was a sophomore in high school 20 years ago and was getting a Canon EOS Rebel.” Indeed, Crick Camera closed in 2017, after 70 years in business. The space evolved in the years since – most recently into a Wingstand by Jefferson’s.
With Taco Naco utilizing office space nearby at the Tutera Group building, 7611 State Line Rd, Ruiz and his wife (and Taco Naco co-founder) Fernanda Reyes noticed earlier this year that the space was once again vacant. When they toured the building they saw a terrific kitchen already in place, and pictured what they could do with it. The couple moved quickly to make the spot their third retail location in the greater Kansas City area, and have established it as the headquarters for their popular catering operation. The spot opened in early August, and fits 40 patrons (50 with a patio for nice weather) and is drawing healthy crowds all the way up to its 10pm closing (9pm on Sundays).
“We expect this location to focus more on to-go orders, but so far it has been a pretty even 50/50 split between dining and takeout,” Reyes said.
Ruiz says they will continue to make their fresh, small batches of seven different salsas at the new location (the recipes come from both Reyes and Ruiz’s grandmother). The new location may have a smaller seating capacity compared to their two other locations in town, but gives the couple a much larger kitchen footprint to handle the catering side of their operation. (which also requires many hours spent in the predawn mornings getting things up and running).
The couple launched Taco Naco in 2019 as a catering company, and brought the brand into public awareness in late 2019 via the Overland Park Farmers market, rising at pre-dawn hours to prepare breakfast burritos. As strict Covid measures soon throttled all sales of “hot food” (even for outdoor events), the duo had to pivot towards a lineup of products that local health officials could stomach: homemade salsas, taco kits, and margarita mixes followed. The sales were enough to keep the operation afloat, and by 2021, a permanent location at 8220 Metcalf in Overland Park opened, followed by last year’s opening in Westport at the former Port Fonda address (4144 Pennsylvania Ave.). The company’s food truck was quite busy this summer with appearances at everything from graduation parties to weddings. Ideas for local retail relationships have yet to materialize, but Ruiz says it’s very much on their radar.
“We’re still looking for a space to open an industrial kitchen,” Ruiz said. “I don’t think we’ll be expanding our locations again (soon) with so much going on.”
The couple says they are still hiring several positions for the new location.