Don't panic, eat tacos!

A look into four different taco shops in the Bay Area during the peak of the pandemic.

By: Dyanna Calvario, yeily mendez, emily curiel

In March of 2020, the world was forced to come to a halt as a response to COVID-19. Restaurants were take-out only, many reduced their business hours, some even closed down and others saw this as an opportunity to open their own restaurant.

After months of closure restaurants in the Bay Area were slowly starting to open back up in July, with outdoor dining and followed by indoor dining which then closed in November.

“Two-thirds of small businesses (65%) are concerned about having to close again or stay closed if there is a second wave of COVID-19” According to the MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Coronavirus Impact Poll in July.

As of Dec. 6th five Bay Area counties have gone back into lockdown as a result of the increase in COVID-19 cases. Restaurants are now back to only having to-go or pick up orders until Jan. 4th, 2021.

While some businesses are concerned about what this second closure means and take a look at how these four different taco shops across the Bay Area were impacted by the pandemic during the first lockdown.

Molcaxitl Kitchen
Tacos 664
Taqueria Vallarta
Matador

Molcaxitl Kitchen

Nomar Ramirez, a SF State student, said he wanted to do something fun for his community during the pandemic. He thought that by opening a small business it would enlighten the spirit of his neighborhood and bring people together — or rather, socially distanced — through food.

His food business, Molcaxitl, started out of his kitchen with him jarring salsa and giving them out to nearby neighbors. It then progressed into a pop-up kitchen at Eagle Pizzeria in the Outer Sunset District in San Francisco. Ramirez is now a vendor at the Outer Sunset Farmers Market, selling tacos.

Ramirez said he looks forward to every Sunday of being at the Farmers Market, working with his girlfriend and two other employees. He said he mostly enjoys being able to speak to customers about how he makes his tacos and the Mexican and Chicano cultures he has been able to fuse into them.

“I hope what we do, regardless of race and culture and everything, I really, really, really, really hope that people will gain a mindfulness of food,” Ramirez said.

Tacos 664

In February, a month before the Bay Area went into quarantine, Valentin Alba and Stephanie Leon decided to open up the taco shop, Tacos 664 out of their home in Richmond, California.

Valentin at the time was recently laid off and Stephanie was unemployed taking care of their daughter, the idea was Valentins to share the recipes of Tijuana-style tacos, the area in Mexico where he grew up.

“A lot of people now, when looking for a place to eat they search on their phones” Stephanie shares.

They started business up on instagram the couple now nearly has 2,000 followers on their Tacos664 instagram page. This is where customers are able to place their orders, see what is on the menu and get videos of the food being cooked and prepared.

The couple rents a back house, which is where they live, prep the food and sell in the backyard of the house.

“In the City of Richmond a lot of people are selling food from their home” Valentin states, since the pandemic started has noticed a surge in businesses opening up from their home. In Contra Costa County, the unemployment rate as of Oct. 2020 was 7.9%.

Since they are not a restaurant and only hold to-go pick up orders they are continuing to sell via Instagram. However, they are unsure what the upcoming rainy days look for them as they cook and sell outside.

Taqueria Vallarta

Taqueria Vallarta, a Mexican restaurant known for their taco bar in Mission District has been a few of the lucky businesses not affected by the pandemic this year.

Employee, Ana who has worked there for 20 years talks about how business has not been affected much due to other local businesses remaining closed during this time.

Matador

Matador, a Mexican restaurant in the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood in San Francisco, used to have a packed restaurant before they had to go on delivery apps as response to initial closure of indoor dining.

As they are currently open with outdoor dining, Liz shared the demographic of their customers has changed. The neighborhood they are in has more hotels and tourists but as that has stopped and not picked up as much as other neighborhoods in San Francisco, their customer base is now, regulars and few from the small portion of office spaces that have opened back up in the area.

“It's hard to also be safe and as attentive as people used to be so trying to keep the distance it's kind of.....difficult.” Liz expresses the difference in the type of service they offer is not the same.

Don't panic, eat tacos!

By: Dyanna Calvario, yeily mendez, emily curiel

Molcaxitl Kitchen

A knife sits on a cutting bored next to a bowl of freshly cut up zucchini at the Molcaxitl booth in Outer Sunset Farmers’ Market in San Fransisco on Sunday October 18, 2020.

Nomar Ramirez, head chef and owner of Molcaxitl, puts toppings on a taco platter at the Molcaxitl booth in Outer Sunset Farmers’ Market in San Francisco, California

A mortar and pestle, which has a five dollar bill in it, sit on a table that is adorned with a serape, a shawl or blanket worn as a cloak in Latin America, and small pumpkins at the Mocaxitl booth in Outer Sunset Farmers’ Market in San Fransisco on Sunday October 25, 2020.

Tacos 664

Stephanie Leon who started 664 tacos with her husband lays tortillas on the grill at their home in Richmond, CA.

Beef quesa birria tacos lay on the grill as the cheese melts and crisps up on the stove.

Taqueria Vallarta

Meat lays on the grill at the bar located inside Taqueria Vallarta in the Mission District.

Customer orders food at the counter inside Taqueria Vallarta in the Mission District.

Lime, radish, cilantro, onion and salsas sit behind the counter at the taco bar inside Taqueria Vallarta.

Matador

Matador Mexican restaurant sign in Lower Nob Hill.

Liquor used for drinks displayed at Matador's bar in Lower Nob Hill.

Rice and beans at the prep table inside Matador restaurant in Lower Nob Hill.