Since the end of 2023, at least seven taquerias have opened their doors in Caracas, most of them in the east of the city. Each one has distinctive features: from the type of food—some more influenced by the Tijuana style, like Entre Tacos near the Sambil mall, and others by the carnitas of Michoacán or the cochinita pibil of Yucatán—to incorporating speakeasies or “secret” bars (in the spirit of Fight Club, in quotes), as is the case with El Taco Ardiente. Unlike traditional establishments—restaurants that offer table service—these taquerias tend to operate more in a fast-food format, giving rise to a kind of boom in the capital.
The boom is seen not only in the number of taquerias, but also in the growth they’ve experienced behind the scenes. According to Diego Díaz, founding partner of Taquería Tres Amigos in Chacao—one of the pioneers and main exponents of the boom—sales have continued to grow since they opened their doors in 2023, when diners lined up on Sucre Street to get in and try their tacos and margaritas: “We experienced exponential growth in the first few months. Being the first taqueria, we set a trend and enjoyed a huge boom thanks to a good product, service, and concept,” he says. “Then sales stabilized a bit, but fortunately, for the past year, we’ve maintained a fairly stable sales line. We always sell out, and we’re doing really well.”
The taco shop boom is also notable for the context in which it is occurring: according to Iván Puerta, president of the National Chamber of Restaurants of Venezuela, at least a dozen food establishments located in the most commercial areas would have closed their doors during the first part of 2025 . Among them are some establishments that had been in service for years and that at one time achieved notoriety, such as Ávila Burger, one of the most iconic hamburger restaurants in the capital in the early 2010s, which even established itself in Madrid through a franchise system.
For Puerta, the first few months of each year are periods of reassessment in food businesses. Under normal circumstances, if a restaurant isn’t achieving the expected results, the usual course of action is to adjust the model to boost growth. But when the decision is made to close, it’s usually because such a reformulation isn’t financially viable. In Venezuela, this is especially relevant: limited access to financing and high tax burdens have made many investment plans more expensive, discouraging the continuation of some projects.
And, although Caracas has never stopped being a city open to culinary experiences, its gastronomic scene has changed in size and composition. A stroll down Avenida Principal in Las Mercedes—one of the country’s most important commercial areas—is enough to confirm that not all the restaurants there today are the same ones that were there during the peak of the bodegónica scene, let alone 10 years ago. Similarly, although Mexican cuisine—and Tex-Mex —have been part of the city’s multicultural scene for more than 40 years, with places like El Rincón Mexicano and Pancho Villa, and even a failed attempt by the TacoBell chain to establish itself during the 1980s, taquerias have emerged as new players in recent years.
Part of this reconfiguration, in addition to the multi-million-dollar global growth of Mexican gastronomy, is due to the fact that Venezuelan consumer demand is not particularly high. With an average income of $339 per month (according to estimates by the International Monetary Fund), the average consumer has changed their behavior. Pragmatism and fragmented demand now reign. Venezuelans haven’t stopped consuming or indulging in certain pleasures—like eating out, for example—but now they do so to the extent they can, taking it to the smallest detail if necessary. Without going overboard.
The businesses that have succeeded under the current circumstances are those that have understood the consumer and moved in their direction: atomizing, without neglecting the generation of value.
Taquerias are a clear example. While the cheapest meal at traditional Mexican restaurants typically includes three or four tacos, at taquerias, it’s possible to order even just one taco. This difference is also reflected in prices: at a traditional restaurant, a meal with a drink can cost around $10, while the most basic option at a taqueria, also with a drink, can cost as little as $3—a price comparable to that of a street hot dog or even less than the cheapest combo meal at McDonald’s.
And it’s not just about low-quality products. At least in the case of Taquería Tres Amigos, says Díaz, “quality and concept will never be sacrificed. Although the country’s economic situation has changed a lot, we also maintain affordable prices. We are extremely loyal to our menu.” Thus, simpler consumption opportunities that were previously ignored are now capitalized on with higher-quality products.
The trend toward fragmentation—toward smaller businesses—hasn’t only affected prices, but also costs. According to Iván Puerta, restaurants in Venezuela are opting for simpler, easier-to-manage models because this gives them a better chance of staying afloat and being profitable. Simply put: if the size of the business is easier to control, so are its expenses, which improves its chances of success. In the case of taquerias, large premises or complex infrastructure aren’t necessary to operate; a few square meters is sufficient.
Accessibility has also played a key role. While some traditional restaurants are located in enclosed spaces, such as shopping malls, which require additional entry fees—for example, parking fees—taquerias do not typically pose major location barriers, being located in busy areas of the city with easy pedestrian or road access. Taquerias Tres Amigos and Patodos are located on the ground floors of buildings in Chacao and Los Palos Grandes, while El Taco Ardiente is located in a street corner near the Chacao Municipal Market.
Seeing this growth in taquerias, one might think that the rest of the Mexican culinary scene in Caracas has shrunk, but nothing could be further from the truth. Taquerias have “reinforced Mexican food brands that had been in the market for years, causing them to reinvent themselves and seek other ways to present their products,” says Puerta. Thus, in the best sense of the word, according to Roberto Gómez Bolaños, sin querer queriendo, the taqueria boom has boosted the overall Mexican food scene in Caracas.
“We’ve definitely felt this taco shop boom in Caracas. Now it seems like people here in Caracas are crazy about tacos,” says Ingrid Claro de Raffalli, whose family has ties to Mexico and who runs La Catrina, a home-style Mexican food service. “But beyond the trend, there’s also been a growing interest in real, authentic Mexican food. And at La Catrina, we don’t make tropicalized, adapted, or Tex-Mex versions (…) the boom has brought more curiosity, but also more respect for authentic Mexican food. And we love that.”
Now, with the economy cooling and a host of taquerias popping up in the city, the question of what to do next remains. For Puerta, “concept booms are something that happens frequently in Venezuela,” often with the risk of market oversaturation: “People see something working and rush to replicate it,” he says. “They see the success and think it will be successful, but it isn’t. Achieving success in a food business requires many elements, and there is indeed a ceiling.”
Some of these elements can be illustrated with the case of Taquería Tres Amigos. For example, in recent months, the taqueria has expanded its catering, valet parking, and delivery services. “Sales have been positively correlated with these additions,” explains Díaz. In fact, after almost three years of operation, Tres Amigos recently opened a second branch in La Candelaria, one of the commercial epicenters in the western part of the capital. These weren’t investments made from the outset, but rather decisions that were made progressively, guided by the results.
The name of the game: it’s not about chasing the hype, but about understanding the consumer, ensuring quality, and scaling intelligently. Step by step. Taco by taco.
