Shelton Taco Restaurant Closes A Year After Reopening: Report

SHELTON, CT — Taco Co., a restaurant located at 391 Bridgeport Avenue in Shelton, has closed once again just over a year after reopening under new owners in 2023, according to a new report.

The Shelton Herald reports the current owners purchased the then-closed restaurant in January 2023 and reopened it three months later with an expanded menu, however they told the paper the restaurant's "narrow focus on tacos" held them back from generating enough business.

One of the owners also said the restaurant's large interior, which includes a bar that seats over 40 customers, forced them to bring in a significant amount of people on a daily basis to make the business sustainable, which did not happen, according to the Shelton Herald.

A request for comment from Taco Co. was not returned Wednesday.

Requests for comment from the Shelton Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce were also not immediately returned Wednesday.

As of Wednesday evening, the restaurant's Facebook page does not indicate Taco Co. has closed. Their most recent post in June encouraged customers to "grab your girls and head to Taco Co." and book their weekend plans at the restaurant.

The closure of Taco Co. comes just five months after the nearby Arooga's Grille House and Sports Bar, previously located at 387 Bridgeport Avenue, shut down in February.

Arooga's announced the closure at the time on the sports bar's Instagram page in a post that used a picture of tombstone and included the caption "Goodbye Arooga's Shelton, thanks for the memories." No further information was included in the post.

Despite the loss of these two restaurants, Shelton has also gained a number of new businesses since the start of 2024.

At the city's Fountain Square plaza alone, recent businesses openings in 2024 have included Crumbl Cookies, Jersey Mike's Subs and Sugar Llamas, as well as health and wellness businesses such as Club Pilates, Physicians One Urgent Care, Stretch Labs, European Wax Center and a new Eye Care Center.

Additionally, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans for a proposed McDonald's restaurant at 6 Todd Road in Shelton back in May after months of discussions about the project.

Read the full Shelton Herald story here.