Vinyl Taco prepares for partial reopening

April, 24, 2020

Vinyl Taco is reopening May 1, but you won’t be able to enjoy a margarita just yet.

“We’ll start with carryout and play it all by ear,” said Kirk Keupp, who’s part of the Fargo-based ownership group.

Vinyl Taco, which is south of the Western Mall, was among the first wave of restaurants to close temporarily in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic while others shifted to takeout and delivery-only models, many with reduced hours.

“We were just getting bombarded with calls,” Keupp said of customers who were missing the restaurant’s “boutique” Mexican street food and more.

“About half were ‘Are you going to start margaritas to go?’ ”

That won’t be happening, but the majority of the menu will be available. Only three items won’t work in to-go containers, Keupp said. A new offering will be a dinner-for-two package.

“We’re kind of excited about it, just start getting employees back in there again and getting back to work,” he said. “We want to have people get thinking about us again.”

The ownership group also has JL Beers, which has remained open for takeout.

“With everything fresh at Vinyl Taco, so many items are so labor intensive, there’s so much prep work, to maintain those prep levels though we (worried we) would be throwing away too much,” Keupp said.

“We’ll be doing much smaller batches to start.”

Takeout will be available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and curbside pickup is an option.

Vinyl Social Club, the entertainment half of the business, won’t reopen yet.

“If they day comes when they allow us to start having a few more people, we would use that space for (additional) seating for the restaurant.”

When the weather is nice, Vinyl Taco will allow diners to eat their takeout on the patio as long as there are no more than 10 people, Keupp said.

“We see so many people that drive up to JL and sit on the tailgate of their pickup. If they want to do that, more power to them.”

Restaurants, other food businesses respond to COVID-19

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Vinyl Taco prepares for partial reopening

Vinyl Taco was among the first wave of restaurants to close temporarily in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s coming back.

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