July 5, 2024

The food truck Tacos de Gringo has gone out of business abruptly after three years of serving street tacos with a chef’s touch.

Ken Leonard and his wife, Calain, started the business after selling their house in Arizona and moving to Sioux Falls four years ago. At the time, Leonard said they were drawn to South Dakota after hearing media reports about the “relatively low” COVID-19 cases and the governor’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tacos de Gringo did pop-ups in parking lots, traveled to events and festivals in the area, and booked visits to breweries and other businesses. In addition to tacos, the menu included burritos, taco salads and nachos.

Customers order food at Tacos de Gringo’s debut in Sioux Falls on Jan. 12, 2021.

The Leonards also had a second venture for a short time last year. From September through December, Kenards Grille operated out of the kitchen at The Gaslight Lounge on West 12th Street. That menu offered more options that the food truck, including burgers, chicken, sandwiches and gourmet hot dogs.

When it closed, Leonard noted “the volume that I needed wasn’t there.”

After last month’s flooding in Rock Valley, Iowa, the Leonards traveled there twice with the food truck to help feed those in need and to distribute hygiene kits. The last outing was June 26 at Red Rock Bar & Grill.

On June 28, they posted on social media that all events were canceled until further notice, and on Thursday, they announced Tacos de Gringo was closed permanently.

“It is with a heavy heart we announce that Tacos de Gringo food truck is permanently closed. We thank each and every one of our customers and community for all the love and support we have been shown throughout the years. If you have an event scheduled with us and have not yet been contacted, we will be reaching out by Saturday with possible replacements. We genuinely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.”

Calain Leonard said Friday afternoon that she had no additional comment and asked the community to respect the family’s privacy.

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