On the heels of the Tampa flagship's huge remodel announcement, Taco Bus has revealed that its St. Petersburg location will permanently close on Wednesday.
The decision — according to a blog post on the Taco Bus website titled "We're growing, not going" — was based on the locally grown Mexican restaurant brand's expansion plans. Those plans include a state-of-the-art building with a drive-thru and self-ordering kiosks for the original Taco Bus on Hillsborough Avenue, plus new openings in Treasure Island and other Tampa Bay locales.
The Grand Central District outpost debuted in St. Pete at 2324 Central Ave. six years ago.
"But worry not, we will be opening our new Treasure Island location at the same time. We believe that this new store will better serve our customers and provide everything we need as we expand our menu and our service offerings. In the future, we will also be opening another location in downtown St. Pete," reads the blog.
In 1995, Taco Bus began as a mobile concept, which chef René Valenzuela launched with a menu of straightforward Mexican street food. Valenzuela opened the first brick-and-mortar operation for the brand, which has had growth on the brain since the beginning, almost a decade later.
"We have many good memories from the many years we have served you at our Hillsborough and St. Petersburg locations and take pride in the charm and delight they have provided to our customers over the years," the blog continues. "We hope to see you all at our new locations as we will continue to find new ways to 'keep it chido.' We are here to listen and discuss any concerns or questions you may have about upcoming changes or any feedback you may have on areas in which we may improve."
This article appears in Sep 21-28, 2017.