Springfield restaurant reopening for evening carryout

Guerra’s Krazy Taco is reopening Wednesday for evening carryout after temporarily closing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Owner Felix Guerra III said he decided to close the weekend before Gov. Mike DeWine announced the order to close restaurants to in-house patrons because he wanted to “get in front of it and eliminate any problems.”

He explained that Guerra’s Krazy Taco has two employees that are considered higher-risk for COVID-19.

“For me, my employees’ safety is worth every penny,” Guerra said.”They are like family to me.”

Guerra added, “I couldn’t control outside the restaurant what was happening and so with a couple of factors internally, I just thought it was the right thing to do.”

Reopening for evening carryout is a way for Guerra’s Krazy Taco to get back “in the groove” smoothly without having a rush of people.

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“It takes two or three days to get back in the groove with products, recipes and everything else,” Guerra said.

He explained that he decided to eliminate lunches during this time due to the pressure of getting the product out in a timely manner.

“In the evening, we can kind of control that time space and be able to do a better job with making the product and wrapping it up and getting it out to the customer,” Guerra said.

Guerra’s Krazy Taco has condensed their menu by 25 percent, but will introduce new items like burritos and dinners for two, four and six people in the next few weeks. They will have carryout cocktails including margaritas, jalapeno margaritas and long island iced teas, Guerra explained.

He said he is hoping the carryout-only order will last for about month, but he will offer carryout-only as long as he is able to do so.

Guerra explained that buying meat may be an issue in the next three weeks because farmers are taking less product to the market. If it becomes an issue, Guerra said they will change the menu.

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Guerra’s Krazy Taco is ensuring social distancing by adding tape to the floor for carryout customers to stand six feet apart. Guerra said he is thinking about the future by taking chairs away from tables to limit the amount of people sitting at a table.

“The whole restaurant industry I think is in for a big change. The way we do business is not going to be the way it’s been done,” Guerra said. “I don’t know what to expect.”

During the temporary closure, Guerra said he has missed his customers.

“It’s more than just a place to sell food,” Guerra said. “It’s a place to be with friends.”

Guerra’s Krazy Taco, located at 229 N. Belmont Ave., is open 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, search for Guerra’s Krazy Taco on Facebook or call 937-325-0799.

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