David Vera works on the flat top at his recently opened restaurant, Burrito Taco King. Vera said it was difficult to open a business during the pandemic.
Vera was proud of the fat-free steak from Burrito Taco King. BTK opened about three months ago at its former location in Taco City at 22nd Ave.
JOE STATES
Burrito Taco King, a new local Mexican restaurant, has taken over the former Taco City building at 8022 22nd Avenue and is reputedly the largest burrito in Kenosha.
David Vera, who moved to Kenosha from Chicago a few years ago, spoke about opening a business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s hard, the staff are still trying to learn,” said Vera. “We’re still learning, but we’re getting better.”
The process of opening a new store began about a year and a half ago when Vera saw that the former Taco City building was up for sale. Although BTK serves food similar to the previous restaurant, Vera said the previous owners had removed all restaurant equipment, which meant the building needed a lot of construction.
But with the onset of the pandemic, building materials and labor were scarce and the delays were daunting, Vera explained.
“It was really tough with the pandemic,” Vera said. “They told me it would take about six months” to turn the building into a functioning restaurant.
Two of Vera’s family members, 13-year-old Geovonnie Amie and 19-year-old Tony Renteria, have worked with him from the start, Vera said. Amie pointed to the various stoves, freezers, and deep fryers that were now in the kitchen and said they would have to start over if they had the building.
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