Auburn residents will soon have another option to grab a taco and a margarita downtown.
Taco Mama, a Mountain Brook-based Mexican restaurant, plans to open a seventh Alabama location in Auburn. It could open as early as January 2017, according to Taco Mama owner Will Haver.
"The best we could hope for is January, February, early spring," Haver said.
The new Taco Mama will occupy a vacant storefront in the Magnolia Plaza building, the former home of Zazu Gastropub.
"You've got permitting, the property owner is doing his buildout," Haver said. "We just got the plans. The contractor has about 30 days from having his work completed. So that would put us in the middle of November, then we would have a 90-day opening process from there."
Haver said Auburn is a "natural fit."
"So many friends are in Auburn," he said. "It seems like for us, we like to go into areas where we know people. Over the years, our friends have said, 'Please come to Auburn, please come to Auburn.' We've been looking for, over the past two years, for a spot. Finally, something came up right in the area that we wanted to be in."
Taco Mama is ready to take advantage of Auburn's growing market, Haver said, which he credited to the city's schools and the University.
"I think the right location came up," he said. "We're really excited."
They chose downtown over other places such as TigerTown because they felt there was more security because of the growing student population and the other diverse businesses in the area, which attract shoppers and diners downtown.
"That's where we've seen success in the past," Haver said. "Our product, kids love it. College students love $8 for a taco basket, which is very affordable. We do everything fresh. We do everything quick in a very funky atmosphere."
The new Auburn Taco Mama location will offer the same staples found at the other seven locations, including a wide selection of freshly prepared tacos, burritos, nachos and other Mexican dishes made with slow-roasted meats and fresh produce.
During the construction process, contractors will install a large garage that will open to an open-air patio. In the cool air of the spring and fall and the warm summer, diners can enjoy hand-shaken margaritas or a beer or two in the outdoor eating area.
"That is another very important part of why we wanted to be there," he said. "Not only just the feel of downtown, but it's a spot where we can have a patio. We're going to have a nice-size patio with a 10-by-10 garage door that opens to the restaurant."
Diners can enjoy "build your own" options as well.
"We're a hole-in-the-wall tacoria," Haver said. "People can eat paleo-friendly or vegetarian. We're a fast, casual tacoria. The atmosphere is cool, fun and lively. We hand-pick our music. We work hard for the total guest experience."
Haver said the new location will provide more than 25 jobs for the local economy.
Taco Mama will open at 11 a.m for lunch and it will usually stay open until 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, it will stay open until 10:30 p.m. They may end up altering the hours depending on the needs of the community.
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