EAST SIDE — Cocktail bar The Volstead is celebrating the "94th anniversary" of the passage of the Volstead Act tonight. The law put muscle behind the 18th amendment, which established Prohibition. The Volstead will be offering a "Prohibition prices" happy hour from 7-9pm and free Goldis sausage. What better way to ring in Cocktail Week 2013? [Eaterwire/Facebook]
CHEFWIRE — Chefs-about-town Rene Ortiz and Laura Sawicki, formerly of La Condesa and Sway, have a new company, Cochi Superstar. Those who cannot process unicorns, rollerskates, and neon all at the same time should not click the link. [Eaterwire]
EXPANSIONWIRE — The Statesman reports today that Tacodeli is opening two new locations, one at 7301 Burnet Road, and the other at the Village at Westlake shopping center. Both are slated to open in the first quarter of 2014, bringing Tacodeli up to five locations in Austin. These two new locations are serving as test cases for further expansion in "Austin and perhaps in other cities." The full release is below. [Statesman]
[Photo: TacoDeli/Facebook]
Tacodeli to Open Two New Locations in First Quarter of 2014:
New Restaurants Opening in Crestview Neighborhood and Village at Westlake(October 2013) Austin, TX ¬— Tacodeli, Austin's best little authentic taqueria boasting a menu of more than 40 made-from-scratch tacos, is expanding, with two new bricks-and-mortar locations. Located in the Crestview neighborhood at 7301 Burnet Road, and in the Village at Westlake shopping center at 701 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., the new Tacodeli locations are scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2014.
Representing Tacodeli's foray into Austin neighborhoods where many of the taqueria's loyal patrons live and work, the new restaurant locations will be between 2,200 and 2,400 square feet, include plenty of patio seating, feature Tacodeli's award-winning breakfast, lunch and daily specials menu, and embody the welcoming, lively surroundings the Tacodeli brand is known for while also reflecting the sensibility of each neighborhood. Tacodeli owners Roberto Espinosa and Eric Wilkerson are working with acclaimed interior designer Joel Mozersky to modernize the style of the new locations. Each location will be staffed by at least 30 employees, many of whom will be promoted from the company's three other bricks-and-mortar locations.
The well-loved, iconic restaurant concept that got its beginning in 1999, when the first location opened on Spyglass Drive, and Tacodeli is now ripe for growth. Inspired by delicious food memories from his childhood in Mexico City, Espinosa opened Tacodeli 14 years ago, with Wilkerson coming on board soon after. But Tacodeli has come a long way since the days when Wilkerson and Espinosa towed a trailer by bicycle advertising Tacodeli tacos next to MoPac Expressway during morning rush hour. Indeed, for the past year and a half, Wilkerson, Espinosa and their dedicated team of Tacodeli decision-makers have been on the hunt for the ideal Tacodeli locations, and have been building up the business' back-office capabilities, adding training systems and restaurant-management systems to help ensure that the company's infrastructure is scalable and can support more rapid growth.
"We would like to continue to grow the Tacodeli brand in Austin and perhaps in other cities, and this is a great opportunity for us to make sure we can handle that kind of growth," Tacodeli Co-owner Wilkerson says. "We're excited to be able to grow the brand. We're excited about all the opportunities for our team members. And we're excited about being able to grow relationships with our guests and customers, and to cultivate relationships in neighborhoods we don't currently have a strong presence in. It's always a positive to be near other locally owned restaurants, and we love our neighbors!"
With the opening of the new Crestview and Village at Westlake locations, Tacodeli will continue to offer catering services and feature its tacos at a variety of coffeehouses throughout Austin. With the addition of always evolving daily specials, Tacodeli will continue to feature a chef-driven menu of popular breakfast tacos, savory taco lunch favorites, vegetarian and seafood tacos, authentic soups, salads and sides — all made from scratch with fresh ingredients, many of which are organic and locally sourced.