The Ballard location of Maíz Taquería (7301 15th Ave NW) will close at the end of the month.
Maíz Taquería, which opened in May 2019, will serve its last meal in Ballard on Sunday, March 30. Owner Aldo Gongora told My Ballard that they’re closing to consolidate their operations in their downtown location.
“This corner—as much as we (and our dog Miklo, who loves his backyard) enjoyed it and as much as it gave us our first shot in the industry—became increasingly expensive over the years, with rising property taxes and rent,” Gongora said. “We kept trying to offset those costs with higher sales, expansion, and diversification year after year, but for a neighborhood eatery and mainly our concept, it was always a good set of ambitious tasks we were ready to take on.”
Gongora said their goal has been to keep rent within 10-12% of revenue, but to achieve that, they’d need to hit $900,000 in sales by 2025, and nearly $1 million in 2028. “We’d rather pass on that challenge,” he said.
A few other factors that influenced the decisions are the minimum wage increases, the elimination of the tip credit, and property taxes, which Gongora said exceed $20,000 per year. Gongora said that given those factors, they decided not to renew their lease.
“We will always be grateful to the community that supported us over the years, from the very beginning with our signature machaca and chilaquiles,” he said.
The company will now focus on the flagship Pike Place Market location, where Gongora said the rent is more sustainable, and on its Belltown location (Maíz Molino), which Gongora said they built from scratch to fit their needs.
“This is a well-deserved break for our family, and even though we still have plenty of work ahead with our small coffee roastery in Crown Hill (OG Coffee) and our boutique winery in Baja (which is about to release its first labels under @trinidadcorrado), this shift allows us to concentrate on what matters most.”
Photo: Maíz Taquería on Facebook
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