Taco Mama seeing success at renovated City Center

If you want to eat lunch at Taco Mama, it’s probably best to arrive early.

The popular Mexican eatery at the Vestavia Hills City Center has seen a high level of traffic since opening in early March. Founder Will Haver said that’s expected in Birmingham.

“It’s been terrific,” Haver said. “We wanted to go to Vestavia Hills for a while.”

Haver said once the team at Taco Mama saw the renovations made to the City Center, specifically the new green space that includes seating and overhead lights and has become a popular space for city residents. Haver said once the team saw the renovations made to the City Center, specifically the new green space that includes seating and overhead lights, they wanted to come to the city.

“I think they did a wonderful thing there,” Haver said.

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting nearly every business last year, Haver said he knew if vaccinations were successfully rolled out, and as people’s cabin fever continued to build, the opening of the Taco Mama location would be highly successful.

“Everything came together for them,” Haver said.

The first few days were all about encouraging the staff and keeping them calm as they dealt with huge crowds, Haver said. The team has continuously improved.

The biggest issues have been receiving the materials needed for the business, an issue for many given the supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. However, the labor shortage that has affected many businesses has thankfully not affected Taco Mama, he said.

“We’re all about people,” Haver said. “We’ve always invested in them.”

Haver said the restaurant’s neighbors at the City Center have been great, including Zoe’s Kitchen and Planet Fitness, which is directly across from the restaurant.

“We want more coming,” Haver said.

Haver said there are some new items on the menu, including a new sangria, seasonal margaritas, street corn and tofu. The business is also working on an online ordering platform.