Taco shop that has served Seattle for over 50 years closing its doors after family tragedy

After 5 decades successful business, an iconic Seattle taco edifice has unopen aft a family tragedy. 

The Taco Time connected North 45th Street successful nan Wallingford vicinity served its past burrito connected Monday.

The franchise's proprietor Lyla Hanna said she inherited nan shop from her grandfather aft he died successful September.  

'There's thing saccharine successful knowing it will dice pinch him,' Hanna told King 5.

The vicinity staple besides ne'er sewage its customer numbers backmost aft nan Covid-19 pandemic - truthful it was clip to move on, she explained. 

Since announcing nan closure Hanna said nan edifice was flooded pinch locals hopeless to get a past sensation of their favourite tacos and burritos successful nan 'iconic' location. 

'This is conscionable a typical spot for us, its iconic we grew up pinch it' 1 customer told King 5. 

'We're from this area. We're gladsome we sewage 1 past chance to spell to this location' they added. 

The closest Taco Time for locals will now beryllium successful Ballard astatine 2853 NW Market Street, and Interbay astatine 1140 Elliott Avenue West.

Vanishing Seattle, an Instagram page dedicated to commemorating closures arsenic nan metropolis changes, said 'a mates generations of Seattleites person fond memories of increasing up eating astatine this Taco Time.'

'The locally-owned franchise connected 45th opened successful 1974, and successful 1990, proprietor Jon Hanna decided to tear nan building down & switch it pinch 1 that would guidelines retired from nan different Taco Time locations' nan station explained of nan unsocial glass-walled building.

'Over time, its '80s/'90s-era retro-futuristic solid cubed creation (whether you loved aliases hated it) and immense cactus motion made it a vicinity icon – earning it nicknames specified arsenic nan Disco Taco Time, Blade Runner Taco Time, and Taco Time Global Headquarters' nan station read. 

The concatenation had much-loved quirky features specified arsenic a self-service touchscreen Coke instrumentality pinch 106 spirit combinations which customers could operation and match.

The edifice was specified a well-known area of nan organization that successful 2015 Historic Seattle projected a landmark information for nan building, 'to raise consciousness and appreciation of our accelerated nutrient heritage' arsenic an April Fool's joke. 

'This 1 really hits hard' 1 section commented connected nan Vanishing Seattle post.

'This spot was my childhood' different wrote. 

The shop will beryllium replaced by a Chipotle, nan Seattle Eater reports. 

The first Taco Time Northwest location was opened successful 1962 successful White Center by Frank Tonkin Sr. Over nan past 60 years nan concatenation has expanded to 77 location crossed occidental Washington. 

Restaurants person progressively been struggling this year. Faced pinch higher costs, they person put up paper prices - but that has led to a autumn successful customers. 

Bigger chains for illustration Applebee's, TGI Fridays and Boston Market person have each precocious shuttered restaurants, arsenic person smaller chains for illustration BurgerFi. 

Red Lobster revenge for bankruptcy successful May and besides shuttered almost 100 restaurants.  

Chains person been worst deed successful California wherever nan minimum costs for accelerated nutrient restaurants jumped to $20-an-hour from April 1. 

In early June, Mexican concatenation Rubio's unopen 48 locations in nan authorities and besides revenge for bankruptcy. 

Across America, mom-and-pop operations person besides been shutting.

Earlier this month, for example, Fargo's Pit BBQ successful Texas closed aft much than 2 decades of serving brisket, ribs and other barbecue classics.