ITHACA, N.Y.—Eduardo Acevedo’s Tacos CDMX experiment has proven very successful, as he has taken a humble but versatile sheet metal structure in the Ithaca Re-Use Center parking lot and built it into one of the most popular food spots in the city — with only four business days off since opening, he said.
Now Acevedo is taking his business to Press Bay Alley, where he will be taking over the space from Lucky Hare Brewing, which is leaving its space after three years and opening a new location in Owego in the near future. Acevedo was approached by developer John Guttridge, who owns Press Bay Alley, and the idea advanced from there.
There is no definitive opening date but Acevedo said he intends to open there around May.
“By public demand,” Acevedo said. “People would be cold outside, and people would mention, ‘When are you going to move in?’ But I love it over here.”
But when talking to Guttridge, Acevedo realized it might be time to formalize the business a bit further. Tacos CDMX gained a quick foothold, with rave reviews traveling via word-of-mouth around town after Acevedo moved here with his wife from Chicago and opened the business last summer.
Word spread online and local media then took notice, and Acevedo’s business rapidly went from a sheet metal novelty to a hotly sought-after lunch staple, with lines occasionally stretching to Spencer Road during warm weather.
He is also in talks with Kate Conroy of the Rhine House to provide beer options at the space, he said.
Those who enjoy the culture that Acevedo has fostered around his store will be happy, he said. He pledged to continue making fun of customers and that the menu will expand when he is armed with more on-site storage space.
But those who enjoy the novelty of the setting and nearby gazebo will also be happy. Acevedo and the Ithaca Re-Use Center Executive Director Diana Cohen may maintain the sheet metal structure going forward, fully equipped with grills and cooking space, for a rotation of those who want to set up a pop-up style restaurant for a few hours or days.
“If anybody is interested in seeing if this kind of business is for you, it’s proven to be successful,” Acevedo said. “They can sell anything, hot dogs, tacos, anything ethnic, whatever.”