¡Salud! Tacos made the stunning announcement it's closing its doors after stalled negotiations over a lease agreement with the property owner.
Owner Ernie Becerra, the self-proclaimed "King of All Tacos," paved the way for Chicano-owned businesses to flourish in Barrio Logan.
Becerra posted a heartfelt voice message on Instagram, saying in part, "For the past year our lease in Barrio Logan was coming to terms. And we have been trying to negotiate a new lease in our same space. And over the past year, nothing has come to fruition."
People in Barrio Logan say they felt blindsided by the news, including Chicano Park Museum board member Diane Bolivar Armenta. She was born and raised in Barrio Logan. She says she is afraid of what's next for businesses along Logan Avenue.
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"I was coming back from church and wanting to come in here to get my last plate of tacos or food from here," Armenta said. "And I wasn't able to do that because they were forced to close down before letting a lot of community members know."
¡Salud! Tacos is located along Logan Avenue, blocks away from Chicano Park. It first opened back in 2015, but owner Ernie Becerra has been working on his taqueria business long before. The Becerra Family has been rooted in Barrio Logan for several generations.
Many people NBC 7 spoke to say the restaurant helped usher in a thriving business community in Barrio Logan, including the Jaguar Paw restaurant. The Mexican-Japanese fusion tapas eatery had its grand opening this year on Chicano Park Day. It's located just across the street from ¡Salud! Jaguar Paw bartender John Durant says he has faith Ernie Becerra will make a comeback. But, it’s still tough to hear the news.
"I am honestly sad that one of the staples of Barrio Logan is closing down," Durant said. "And of course, sad for everyone that is working there. They employed a lot of people who are from the barrio."
¡Salud! Tacos, not only earns street credit for its authentic tacos, but it earned acclaim from food critics nationwide. Some tourists came to Barrio Logan just for the chance to eat at ¡Salud! for the first time. However, they never got that chance, because the restaurant's doors were already closed. Chandra Peña was visiting from Dallas for a graduation in San Diego. She wanted to try the tacos at ¡Salud! since it came with high recommendation. But, no luck.
"Basically, we looked and we checked the doors. And we noticed that it was closed," Peña said. "So, we're just like 'We didn't know what was going on!'"
For now, it's wait-and-see for what new moves ¡Salud! Tacos owner Ernie Beccera plans to make.
