Popular Food Truck Opens New Restaurant In Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — What started as a food concession trailer in the parking lot of a car wash in Madison, has grown into a brick and mortar restaurant in Wallingford.

Greg Sharon, owner and operator of the popular Taco Pacifico food truck, recently opened his long-sought eatery at 97 Chapel St. in the Yalesville section in Wallingford. Taco Pacifico is a California-style Mexican restaurant and Sharon makes its signature tortillas and chips in-house.

The Taco Pacifico food truck is well-known along the shoreline, from its origins in Madison to its regular spot at Clinton Crossing. Establishing the restaurant, or taquería, is the realization of Sharon’s original vision for Taco Pacifico.

Taco Pacifico began in 2009 as what Sharon called a “tiny catering venture.”

“Within months of opening, I was already scouting out potential brick and mortar locations in which to operate a taquería,” Sharon said. “It was always my higher vision but it wasn't coming together and any deal I entered quickly fell through. The following summer I jumped at the opportunity to place my business in a tiny food concession trailer in the parking lot of a car wash in Madison.”

Sharon said the business “took off” from Day 1, but he realized the next logical step was to build out his own food trailer, which he did in 2011.

“I upgraded from trailer to truck in 2013 and even expanded to two trucks a year later,” Sharon said. “I branched out and operated summer snack shacks at a private tennis and a private yacht club from 2013-2017. And throughout this time, I constantly tried to secure a piece of commercial real estate along the shoreline - where Taco Pacifico was always based - for I never lost sight of my original vision of establishing a tortillería/taquería.”

Sharon’s search for real estate ultimately brought him to Wallingford, where he felt there was a need for more Mexican food options. He also said he was intrigued by the fact he could find a building that was on public utilities.

“So much of the shoreline is on septic and propane, which is just not ideal for manufacturing, or foodservice in general,” Sharon said. “Additionally, Wallingford is a strategic location logistically for the food truck side of my business, given its access to I-91 and I-84.”

Fans of the food truck will be able to find all their favorites at the restaurant and Taco Pacifico is now making their own tortillas, according to Sharon.

“Having tortilla manufacturing equipment also allows us to make our own tortilla chips from scratch,” Sharon said.

After opening “slowly” to work out any “unforeseen but inevitable kinks,” Sharon plans on adding new items to the menu soon.

“Starting next month, maybe sooner, we will add to our menu by offering taco kits, which will feature our fresh tortillas and chips, as well as fillings and toppings packaged separately for quick assembly,” Sharon said.

Taco Pacifico was originally slated to open by Memorial Day weekend, but the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown brought construction on the eatery to a sudden halt.

Sharon said opening a new business amid the coronavirus pandemic has been “weird.”

“I had originally envisioned promoting the grand opening with soirées, but it just didn’t seem appropriate to host such gatherings,” he said. “And certainly not cost effective coming off the rough food truck season. Everyone is on a tighter budget these days so I wouldn’t expect the normal volume of business that a much-anticipated new business opening would attract.

“We are curbside pickup only at the moment. Once this pandemic becomes a thing of the past, or at least more manageable, we’ll open up our little indoor takeout area. Lots of customers have been asking when we will be open for dine-in, but I never built this out to be a full-service restaurant - just a commercial kitchen to service our food trucks and takeout business, and a tortilleria/chips production facility.”

Visit the Taco Pacifico website here and on Facebook here.