Taco Empire is sizzling again in northwest Oklahoma City. The taqueria run by Pilar Esparza and José Carlos Cornejo reopened Tuesday, several months after a mid-December kitchen fire shut the doors for repairs. The owners are calling the return a comeback as staff stepped behind a remodeled counter, welcomed diners into a refreshed dining room and got service rolling again.
As reported by The Oklahoman, Esparza said opening weekend was quieter than the team had hoped, possibly because Cinco de Mayo events around town pulled customers elsewhere, and online ordering stayed down while final updates were wrapped up. “Everything happens for a reason and we are very happy with the new design,” she told the paper.
The shutdown followed an early-morning blaze in mid-December that firefighters said began shortly after midnight and was contained to the kitchen. The rest of the building took on smoke damage, but no injuries were reported, according to KOCO. At the time, Taco Empire announced it would be closed “until further notice” while repairs were underway…