Taco Pacifico Temporarily Closing In Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — With sales sagging amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Taco Pacifico is temporarily closing less than two months after opening in Wallingford.

Taco Pacifico owner and operator Greg Sharon told Patch he is shutting down until the spring. With the drop in sales and coronavirus cases rapidly increasing, Sharon said his instincts are telling him it's the right time.

Sharon realized his dream of owning and operating a tortillería/taquería business in September when he opened the eatery at 97 Chapel St. in the Yalesville section of Wallingford. Taco Pacifico is a California-style Mexican restaurant and Sharon makes its signature tortillas and chips in-house.

He also operates the Taco Pacifico food truck that is well-known along the shoreline, from its origins in Madison to its regular spot at Clinton Crossing.

Sharon said the decision to close was “pretty easy, logically speaking,” considering low sales pretty much made the decision for him.

“But emotionally, that's another story,” he said. “When I brought a customer's order outside Friday night, she told me how she would always stop at Clinton Crossing just to grab Taco Pacifico whenever she found herself along the shoreline, and that she was overjoyed when she learned we were opening a permanent location locally. It’s stories from these devout customers that made it hard to close. I feel like I’m letting them down.”

Sharon said business was going very well when he opened, but things quickly went in the other direction.

“The honeymoon period lasted about a month and was great,” he said. “There'd been a ton of anticipation prior to opening, coupled with some local media coverage. But then I noticed an inverse relationship as the second wave of the pandemic has been on the rise, and it’s continued to move in this direction.”

Sharon said he is applying for a new grant program through the Department of Economic Community Development to help him weather the storm. The funds don’t need to be repaid, so there’s “nothing to lose,” according to Sharon.

The grant would help Sharon offset monthly building expenses he will incur over the next five months (insurance, gas, electricity, security, etc.) while the restaurant is closed.

Sharon is also closing the popular Taco Pacifico food truck until the spring. He said the current tightened restrictions on gatherings (up to 10 people outdoors) have made it “nearly impossible to generate a decent profit.”

“What I would have to charge to make it worth my while would be cost-prohibitive for the customer," he said. “It’s gotta be a win-win transaction or else it leaves a bad taste in someone’s mouth. And I’m in the business of leaving a good taste!”