Guac ‘N Tacos branches out in Elmhurst

As customers walk in, the climate of a harsh, midwest winter fades into a warm, inviting Mexican taqueria. Colorful chairs, imported paintings and an aroma of spices fill the restaurant. The fourth location of an Elmhurst favorite, Guac ‘N Tacos, is finally open for business.

On Friday, Jan. 24, Guac ‘N Tacos opened a new location in Elmhurst. This is the second restaurant in Elmhurst; the two other locations are in Downers Grove and Western Springs. It is positioned on the corner of West Ave. and North Ave. The owners of the new, more spacious location hope to become more than just a typical restaurant. 

“By having more space, this location is able to seat almost 60 people,” store owner Alex Fuentez said. “We want this to be a place of reunion. [It’s] a place to do your homework, there’s free internet and there’s going to be options of a coffee bar. We’ll have different types of coffees. We want people to come in and enjoy the space.”

With more room in the new location, Alex hopes to do more than just seat a greater amount of people. 

“We do support the community and we want to continue to support it,” Alex said. “We do a lot of fundraisers for work or for schools. We now have a bigger space that could be better for those types of events.” 

Guac ‘N Tacos loving students are happy to have another location here in Elmhurst.

“[Guac ‘N Tacos] is one of my favorite restaurants,” senior Sarah Kerrigan said. “I’ve been going to the first location regularly ever since it opened my freshmen year. This new one is super close to York so it’s going to be perfect for off campus.” 

The focus of the menu is to bring traditional cuisine to Elmhurst.

“I like the Pastor tacos, they’re very traditional,” Alex said. “We do them really the way that they’re done in Mexico.”

As Guac ‘N Tacos continues to grow, the owners have focused on bringing Hispanic culture to Elmhurst. Each restaurant features different paintings by artist Raul Carillo from Ensenada, Baja California in Mexico.

“We want each place to have a piece from him so we can appreciate some art from Ensenada. We are so proud to have his paintings here,” owner Yerika Fuentez said. “We want to bring freshness, color and art to enjoy at the same time that you’re eating”

Guac ‘N Tacos will continue to bring more diverse cuisine and culture to Elmhurst, but the owners always remember what helped their business become so successful.

“We are so happy we started everything here in Elmhurst,” Yerika said. “We are so thankful for the people who support a business like this. It’s family-owned and all the support from the community is very important to us.”