Congratulations on Your Birthday Ladies!
- One year has passed since the taco twins (Kathryn Mathis and Cally Johnson) posed for this photo, giddy and nervous about opening their restaurant, 530 NW 23, to the public. Big Truck Tacos has been an unqualified success.
It was a year ago that I first met “big twin” and “little twin” and learned about their vision for Big Truck Tacos at NW 23 and Dewey. They had originally looked at a small diner on Hudson across from the Sieber Hotel. Thank goodness the owner was asking for $1,500 a month (way too much according to many). The place wouldn’t have been big enough. The ladies instead chose an old hamburger stand, which had gone thorugh quite a demise and was last a donut shop (I think) before going dark for quite a while.
They did a top notch overhaul of the old place, and introduced life to NW 23 by daring to add outdoor seating. Some might have thought the ladies nuts for taking such a chance – NW 23 is a busy street and Oklahoma City isn’t exactly know for alfresco dining. The first week proved those outdoor seats were needed. Lines streamed out of the doors as a wildly successful social media campaign had Big Truck Tacos being talked about all over town.
This restaurant on NW 23 – “headquarters” – was supposed to be a secondary operation to the truck, but has ended up being just as much the superstar. Now don’t get me wrong – the truck is wildly anticipated whereever it goes. But one has to wonder whether this operation would have been as successful if it had opened up in a shopping center at Memorial and MacArthur. The food is great. The ladies and their crew are originals.
But is there a magic in the location? Is there a charm to this odd old building brought back to life? Do people like to congregate where they see a comeback story in the making? What role does classic architecture and a vintage urban frontage play in attracting people back to the urban core?
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Comments
These girls are truly amazing! Thanks Steve for stepping up and giving well deserved praise here. I suspect because they think so much out of the box that they are not always well received in the food community. Change happens when people decide what’s important to them and then vow to do it. This is surly the case here. Our family will continue to support the efforts of these local girls. Food is top notch and a welcome in this sometimes cookie-cutter city. Congrats!!!
Good concept, starting small and staying small (fighting the urge to open new places everywhere), a relatively simple menu, and of course good food, good location and just plain hard work gets BTT to where it is today. Well done ladies.
“But is there a magic in the location? Is there a charm to this odd old building brought back to life? Do people like to congregate where they see a comeback story in the making? What role does classic architecture and a vintage urban frontage play in attracting people back to the urban core?”
We all see where you are going Steve. And Yes, Yes, and Yes! The answer to your questions. I believe people today are wanting to be a part of their history or the history of OKC. Times are changing, what was old is now new again. Can’t wait to see what happens to Kaisers in Midtown, so much potential. Hope for many more in our great city too.