Sad Burrito News

Taqueria Cancún's Future At Risk Over Landlord And Lease Issues

Being nominated as one of the top burritos places in the country ought to be cause for celebration, but for local favorite Taqueria Cancún, the situation is anything but bright. FiveThirtyEight reports:

The taqueria has been without a lease for more than a year, since the building’s owner, whom [Taqueria Cancún’s co-owner Gerardo Rico] described like a patron saint, passed away. The owner’s family isn’t sure what to do with the place, so Cancún is currently on a month-to-month lease. I asked what would happen to the restaurant. “Who knows,” he said, taking a deep breath.

If that is not enough of a kick to the gut, it turns out that the restaurant’s very popularity may in fact be contributing to a potential recent drop in quality.

Between [comedian Marc Maron’s] endorsement and extra customers from some competition, there had been lines out the door for weeks. His employees were overworked and tired. Rico was worried the quality of the food would decline.

With such a precarious lease situation, and such high demand for property in the Mission, the possibility that Taqueria Cancún may be forced to close its flagship location on Mission and 19th is very real.

At least we can take comfort in the knowledge that if Taqueria Cancún goes the way of so many of their other displaced peers, we’ll always have Tacolicious and Bandidos.

[Photo: Andrew Mai, via SF Eater]

Comments (14)

This seems pointlessly alarmist.  Nothing about that story suggests they’ll be moving. Just a change in who the rent check is made out to, and some probate uncertainty. If I inherited it, I’d probably sell the building. If I bought the building, I’d continue renting to the cash cow that Cancun is. It can afford a rent increase, should that happen. And what does a “decline in quality” because they’re too popular have to do with anything?

Hoo boy. Looks like Sam/John has another troll handle.

For someone apparently interested in “meta” approaches, your research is terrible. Did you get here last week?

GM: I’m going to step up and admit I got this wrong. I had suggested the headline to Jack, having been influenced by Eater’s hed and my initial reaction to the “who knows” comment.

After re-reading the 583’s article, it is clear that the Cancun’s future is absolutely in question, and thus the original headline was accurate. However, I do agree that it overstated the immediacy of the threat to Cancun’s 19th and Mission taqueria.

I have edited the headline to better reflect the uncertainty surrounding Cancun’s future. That said, Jack’s post is an accurate representation of the reported facts and remains unchanged.

We are obviously interested in this story, looking into the situation, and will continue to track it for further developments.

So pointedly alarmist that every possible blog/news outlet in SF reported it.

Everyone reports the same alarmism, therefore it is not alarmist.

Look, this is just cheap, incoherent End-Of-The-Mission rumormongering. Are we supposed to be angry that Taqueria Cancun is getting so much business that they’re facing some difficulty scaling up? Is it TECH’S FAULT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Or you could make the arduous trek to Mission and Valencia to their other location.

That would be UNBEARABLE and the end of the Mission as we know it. I guess.

1. Include “landlord” in title

2. Create an alarmist story out of someone answering “Who knows” while exhaling.

3. Direct anger to other businesses that have nothing to do with anything, other than that they serve similar food in the same neighborhood.

#journalism

this.

Tacolicious and Bandidos?! As options? Please. Come on. There are a ton of other taquerias in the Mission (obviously). 

Hey, speaking of “obviously”.

Terrible. Another great establishment ruined by the techie invasion.