Taqueria Habanero celebrated its grand opening at its new Route 1 location in College Park on Friday.
The restaurant offers Mexican food such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas, according to the restaurant’s website.
The business is family-run and has been around for 10 years, operations director Yicela Alvarado said. Alvarado’s parents began selling their food at farmers markets for about two years and expanded to restaurants after they gained popularity, she said.
The restaurant operated a separate College Park location in Campus Village Shoppes until the location’s closure in October 2023 due to the shopping center’s redevelopment, according to an Instagram post from the restaurant.
Taqueria Habanero has two other locations in Washington, D.C., according to its website: one in Columbia Heights and one in Bryant Street Market.
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Alvarado said the restaurant offered a 10 percent discount during its opening weekend.
Mexican sparkling water brand Topo Chico also sponsored the restaurant’s grand opening, providing customers with free sparkling water as they entered, Alvarado said.
Susan Jarboe, a retiree from Hyattsville, had her first date with her boyfriend at the previous College Park location. She said she enjoyed the food and the new location was much more walkable from Old Town College Park.
Chuck Schoppet, a software developer from Riverdale Park, said he used to frequent the old location. He ate his usual order at the grand opening, which was shrimp, salmon and chicken tacos.
“It’s basically the freshness of the food,” Schoppet said. “It’s simple, but it’s good food.”
The restaurant’s shift leader Saul Escobar said the team focuses on providing great customer service and making everyone feel comfortable.
Escobar’s favorite part of the job is the love customers show for the food and the restaurant, he said.
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Bryan Abdallah, who works in media, first tried the restaurant in his hometown of Washington, D.C.
“I really like the authenticity of the Mexican food,” Abdallah said. “[The menu] kind of hits all the spots, and they’re always trying out new stuff as well.”
Abdallah became friends with the Alvarado’s after frequenting their Washington, D.C. locations and showed his support by capturing photos for the restaurant during its grand opening. He said the new location is more in the heart of College Park and is “connected to the community.”
The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., the restaurant’s website reads.
Michael Williams, the city’s economic development director, said he was “wildly excited” Taqueria Habanero was able to open up a new location in College Park.
“They have such a great brand,” Williams said. “They serve good food, they’re friendly people, and so, [I’m] excited to keep them here and have them open.”
