Taco shop that has served Seattle for over 50 years closing its doors after family tragedy
After five decades in business, an iconic Seattle taco restaurant has shut after a family tragedy.
The Taco Time on North 45th Street in the Wallingford neighborhood served its last burrito on Monday.
The franchise's owner Lyla Hanna said she inherited the store from her grandfather after he died in September.
'There's something sweet in knowing it will die with him,' Hanna told King 5.
The neighborhood staple also never got its customer numbers back after the Covid-19 pandemic - so it was time to move on, she explained.
The Taco Time on North 45th Street in the Wallingford neighborhood has closed
Since announcing the closure Hanna said the restaurant was flooded with locals desperate to get a last taste of their favorite tacos and burritos in the 'iconic' location.
'This is just a special place for us, its iconic we grew up with it' one customer told King 5.
'We're from this area. We're glad we got one last chance to go to this location' they added.
The closest Taco Time for locals will now be in Ballard at 2853 NW Market Street, and Interbay at 1140 Elliott Avenue West.
Vanishing Seattle, an Instagram page dedicated to commemorating closures as the city changes, said 'a couple generations of Seattleites have fond memories of growing up eating at this Taco Time.'
'The locally-owned franchise on 45th opened in 1974, and in 1990, owner Jon Hanna decided to tear the building down & replace it with one that would stand out from the other Taco Time locations' the post explained of the unique glass-walled building.
'Over time, its '80s/'90s-era retro-futuristic glass cubed design (whether you loved or hated it) and huge cactus sign made it a neighborhood icon – earning it nicknames such as the Disco Taco Time, Blade Runner Taco Time, and Taco Time Global Headquarters' the post read.
The chain had much-loved quirky features such as a self-service touchscreen Coke machine with 106 flavor combinations which customers could mix and match.
The restaurant was such a well-known corner of the community that in 2015 Historic Seattle proposed a landmark nomination for the building, 'to raise awareness and appreciation of our fast food heritage' as an April Fool's joke.
'This one really hits hard' one local commented on the Vanishing Seattle post.
'This place was my childhood' another wrote.
The store will be replaced by a Chipotle, the Seattle Eater reports.
The first Taco Time Northwest location was opened in 1962 in White Center by Frank Tonkin Sr. Over the last 60 years the chain has expanded to 77 location across western Washington.
Restaurants have increasingly been struggling this year. Faced with higher costs, they have put up menu prices - but that has led to a fall in customers.
Customer rushed to get their last tacos and burritos before the location closed
Customers were informed of the closure via a sign posted to the location's door
Locals said they will miss the 'iconic' location they grew up dining in
Bigger chains like Applebee's, TGI Fridays and Boston Market have have all recently shuttered restaurants, as have smaller chains like BurgerFi.
Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May and also shuttered almost 100 restaurants.
Chains have been worst hit in California where the minimum wage for fast food restaurants jumped to $20-an-hour from April 1.
In early June, Mexican chain Rubio's shut 48 locations in the state and also filed for bankruptcy.
Across America, mom-and-pop operations have also been shutting.
Earlier this month, for example, Fargo's Pit BBQ in Texas closed after more than two decades of serving brisket, ribs and other barbecue classics.
