Tacos To-Go now has a second location on campus. The Poly Canyon Village location is holding a grand opening on Thursday.
Taylor Steinbeck
[follow id=”taysteinMD”]
Something is sizzling in Poly Canyon Village (PCV), and it isn’t just the heat. Tacos To-Go, the on-campus Mexican cuisine cart, has expanded to a dine-in sized restaurant found in the heart of PCV, offering more options and more elbowroom.
Though Tacos To-Go has technically been open to the public since this past Sunday at 5 p.m. when the meal plan went into action, the official grand opening is planned for this Thursday.
With the recent influx of freshmen, many new students have been roomed in PCV buildings, which are far from dining venues such as VG Cafe and 19 Metro Station. To compensate, Einstein Bros Bagels is now accepting swipes for the meal plan, as is the new Tacos To-Go.
The Tacos To-Go Express, located near Dexter Lawn, will remain despite the new location.
The popularity of the original Tacos To-Go spurred the idea to implant a larger, updated restaurant in place of Peet’s Coffee and Tea. Campus Dining Operations Manager Jenna Bailey said the change was motivated by student input.
“The decision was made last year when we knew our Peet’s contract was up, and the decision was really made by the students,” she said. “We asked them what foods they wanted and we heard them. They love Tacos To-Go and Chipotle, and they wanted a build-your-own Mexican bar, so that’s what we gave them.”
Favorites from the original Tacos To-Go have been made bigger and bolder in the PCV restaurant.
“We’re giving students more bang for their buck and everything is made to order,” Campus Dining Executive Chef Chris Dunham said.
Variety also separates the establishment from its food truck counterpart.
“There are so many options here,” Dunham said. “You could come here everyday for seven days and not have the same thing. The kids can never get bored of what we’re serving here. We have four different meats, two types of beans, cilantro rice, salsas and guacamoles.”
Campus Dining Marketing and Public Relations Manager Yukie Nishinaga said the grand opening will be a lively event.
“Students can come from 11 to 2 this Thursday and just have fun down here,” Nishinaga said. “We’ll have a photo booth for them to take pictures and we’ll be raffling off everything from Cal Poly T-shirts to pompoms to Campus Dining gift cards.”
Tacos To-Go also launched the $15 Iguana Burrito, consisting of three tortillas, a choice of meat and beans, 8 ounces of rice, 4 ounces of lettuce and 4 ounces of salsa. It requires a two-person team to construct the beast. This colossal burrito is not to be trifled with by the weak.
“We had a kid, the first time we opened, ask for the Iguana,” Dunham said. “An hour and a half in, he was about two-thirds of the way in and he threw the white flag. It was a nice attempt though.”
The premise behind the burrito was simple: create a challenge worthy of “Man v. Food.”
“We wanted to make something that was the talk of the campus,” Dunham said. “Hopefully, we can get some football players in here to try it. I know there will be some kids that will conquer it, so we’re waiting for that first one.”
Those who are able to down the Iguana will have their picture taken for a wall designated to fellow Iguana-slayers and will receive a free T-shirt. But Tacos To-Go is about about more than one new burrito.
“We have all this beautiful food and equipment and I think we’re going to have a really good run,” Dunham said.