APRIL 11 TO APRIL 17, 2024 | JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
BUSINESS & LEGAL NEWS IN BAKER, CLAY, DUVAL, NASSAU AND ST. JOHNS COUNTIES
THE TACO INFLUX: WHY THEY’RE GREAT TO SELL
INSIDE
GOVERNMENT
$100 million vehicle plant is considering Jacksonville PAGE 3
DEVELOPMENT
Life Time fitness club buys land in Seven Pines PAGE 4
Photo by Dan Macdonald
Mark Embrick, the operator of Jax Taco Truck, discovered the benefits of selling tacos over other fare in 2019. He started with a barbecue truck but found it was a hit-and-miss venture. With tacos, “If I run out of ground beef or chicken, I can kind of run out and grab something and be back in business.”
The relatively inexpensive product costs and the popularity of tequila are driving more taco restaurants to Northeast Florida. BY DAN MACDONALD STAFF WRITER
I
f you love tacos, this may be the golden age in Northeast Florida, with more restaurants featuring the fare on the way. Some are aimed at families. Others are more upscale, with full bars featuring 30 or more usually hard-
to-find brands of tequila and mezcal. Beyond the dining preferences of consumers, more factors are driving the taco trend. It may be a function of restaurant economics, said Robbert Bouman, professor of culinary arts and hospitality management at Florida State College at Jacksonville. A Mexican- or taco-themed restaurant
depends on a few basic ingredients and nearly every dish uses some of them. At a time when 10 chicken wings can cost a diner $15 or more, three basic tacos with tortilla chips and salsa cost between $9 and $12. Dice some tomatoes, lettuce and onions, wash and chop a bunch of cilanSEE TACOS, PAGE 8
THE BASCH REPORT
Khan leads area list of billionaires The owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars tops the Forbes list of four billionaires with area ties, but he failed to move up vs. others on list. PAGE 14 CITY GOVERNMENT
Moving beyond the single-family
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THE MATHIS REPORT
VanTrust developing 2M-square-foot warehouse The distribution center for discount retailer Burlington is in the Interstate West Industrial Park in Savannah and being worked on by VanTrust’s Jacksonville team. PAGE 6
The work to fill the “missing middle” of affordable housing in Jacksonville meets with resistance from singlefamily neighborhoods not keen on the density it will bring to their communities. PAGE 12
VOLUME 111, NO. 22 | TWO SECTIONS | PUBLISHED SINCE 1912