A renowned Mexican restaurant that closed its doors in downtown Colorado Springs almost three years ago is making a comeback, but with a change of pace: It’s hitting the road.

The Aguilar family used to run El Taco Rey, which operated downtown for 45 years until the matriarch of the family-owned restaurant died in 2021 at age 80. The family members made the tough decision to close the restaurant, but they’re now back in food truck form. 

The family will be opening The Rey with twin sisters Jana and Judy as the owners. They say the revival will feature all the original made-from-scratch recipes including the avocado pork burrito, a longtime customer favorite.

The business is set to open after the inspection from the El Paso County Public Health department is finished. If they pass, they are aiming to open sometime next week.

After working outside of the food industry for a few years and disliking it, the sisters decided it was time to come back, saying it feels good to be their own bosses again. 

“Food service is our calling,” said Jana Aguilar Mitchell. “We’re here and ready to get back to work.” 

The idea to reopen started about a year and a half ago, but it took some time to transform concept into reality.

The sisters bought the food truck in February but ran into various complications, which pushed the reopening back later than expected.

“We had to get licensing, get our logo done and get the truck built, and the people who were working on it got sick. It’s been a doozy,” Allen said.

Since announcing their reopening, The Rey has been getting a lot of attention from old customers, many of whom felt a void in the community after El Taco Rey shut down. 

Mitchell said they have been getting daily calls and comments on their Facebook page from people expressing their excitement of their reopening. 

“The taste buds are going crazy just thinking about your food!” one Facebook commenter said. Another person on social media let their desires be known: “Avocado pork burrito me please.” 

“I’m surprised this has been blowing up. It’s been wonderful!” Mitchell said. “We just thank God that we have support in this, and that people want to come back and have our food again.” 

The sisters are aiming for the truck to be at multiple areas downtown and throughout the city. 

When they do open, their first day will be at their church, Heritage Pentecostal Church. The food truck will be open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

The idea of El Taco Rey started with Rosemary Aguilar, the matriarch of El Taco Rey, and her husband, Edumenio “Eddie” Aguilar, who died in 2018.

The two opened the family business in 1976, bringing their family recipes to the Colorado Springs food scene with them.

The tiny, single-story downtown building at 330 E. Colorado Ave. became a popular spot to enjoy authentic Mexican meals. The restaurant cultivated a community that quickly came to feel like an extended family, according to both sisters. 

Over the years, the restaurant won first place in multiple categories in The Gazette’s Best of the Springs, including best Mexican and best taqueria.