A brand-new Sunderland eatery opened its doors to the public this week after months of anticipation.
TACO, founded by Nick Kerry, welcomed punters from Monday morning and began servicing up authentic Mexican cuisine with an exciting twist for hungry Wearsiders to sample.
The new restaurant located in Ashbrooke is Nick's first solo food setup after parting ways with his ex-business partner and burger restaurant located in the city centre.
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The 36-year-old built his previous restaurant; BURGeR from the ground up, but has since decided to leave it behind and set up the Mexican eatery.
He saw a gap in the market a little over a year ago, and decided to start planning on a spin off shop - with goals of building a Sunderland food empire.
He began by humbly researching the basics of authentic Mexican cuisine - by watching family cooking shows of North American families dishing up classic plates, and following along at home with supermarket bought ingredients.
Speaking to Chronicle Live earlier this year, he said: "Where I've got my inspiration and knowledge from is watching Mexican families cook tacos in their front garden.
He continued: "I've taken everything I've learned and put a Westernised twist with cheese crusts - a hybrid sort of taco.
"When I went into BURGeR I was a novice, whereas now I'm quite an accomplished chef so am ready to evolve into a different genre of food."
He then went on to start releasing his food to the general public, cooking at home for delivery or collection to hungry punters.
He was approached by local convenience store owner Chris Ledger, who kindly offered him a home for his new business venture - which he snapped up in a heartbeat.
Nick continued: "I went down (to Ledger's) and had a bit of a craic on, and he said 'why don't we turn this into a kitchen - we'll have a taco hatch here'.
"I said 'Chris, you're the first person to jump out at me, and I'm a loyal person - let's go for it and do it.'
"Things have snowballed a little bit, I'm just trying to take everything in and process it."
Over the past few months, Nick has been working closely with Chris to create his brand-new restaurant on Worcester Street, Ashbrooke - and this week it was finally time to open his doors.
Business has been booming during opening week, with regular queues forming at the door to keep Nick busy.
One Facebook user wrote: "We need to go" while another commented: "Can’t wait for this!"
In its launching week, Nick has provided a temporary menu while the business hits the ground running - comprising of tacos, sandwiches and loaded nachos.
His famous 'Taco Boxes' comprise of three pork or chicken soft tacos sealed with a delicious crispy cheese crust - complete with a selection of sauces and peri coated nachos.
He has also unleashed a new twist on the classic Cuban sandwich in box form - slow cooked pulled pork, topped with ham and dressings, slapped down on a tasty toasted brioche bun.
For those wanting a lighter bite, pulled pork or chicken loaded nachos can also be purchased for just £5, with sandwiches and tacos also being sold individually.
TACO is located in Ledger's convenience store on Worcester Street, Asbrooke, adjacent to th Ivy House pub.
For more details, including opening times, you can check out his Facebook page here.
