SCHENECTADY — A taqueria is set to open on Upper Union Street this fall. It’s called Tacos & Margaritas Cantina and will be located at 1671 Union Street, where Simon’s used to be.
“Our motto is an open kitchen style taqueria where your tortilla is made fresh,” says owner Luis Belman, who lives in Schenectady. “You can watch it being prepared, pressed and cooked, just like your meat.”
Tacos & Margaritas will be his first restaurant owned, although he has been in the industry since a young age.
“It was my dream to have my own restaurant,” Belman said.
He began renting the Union Street space a few months ago and is working on renovating it and installing an open kitchen and bar.
Logo mockup for Tacos & Margaritas Cantina, 1671 Union Street. Owner Luis Belman plans to open in the fall.
“I want it to be this hip place where everyone can come in, eat, get their tacos, sit at the bar and have a drink … where you can get something quick and know it’s going to taste good,” Belman said.
The menu focuses on taco specialties made with the restaurant’s own tortillas.
“Just by saying we make our own dough, we already stand out from the crowd, because most restaurants around here only have frozen tortillas that they just heat up,” Belman said.
His goal is to offer customers the experience of an authentic taqueria like one they might find in Mexico.
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“It’s a new concept that doesn’t exist here in the Capital Region yet,” Belman said. “Yes, there are other Mexican restaurants, but not this concept, no official taqueria where you can go and watch the tacos being made, talk to the chef making the tacos, and see the dough being pressed and cooked and the meat being cut right in front of your eyes.”
He hopes to open in the fall and plans to hire 25 employees.
The restaurant joins two others that recently opened on Union Street, including Chapli & Platters at 1628 Union Street and Mr. & Mrs. Wing at 1715 Union Street.
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