One of Newmarket's most popular Main Street eateries, born as a pandemic pop-up, celebrated its journey to success with an official grand opening March 1.
Ghost Taco co-owner Samantha Buckley told the guests who packed the restaurant she was "overwhelmed with gratitude to see all of you here to celebrate the grand opening of Ghost Taco, the first of many restaurants to come."
She shared the story of the restaurant's beginnings, saying for her and co-owner Grant Buckley, "Going into the second lockdown we didn't know what the future held for Ground Burger Bar and EVENTMRKT ... What we did know is that if we didn't adapt quickly, that future might not exist."
They began "tossing around crazy ideas" in a bid to avoid laying off staff again in 2021, "brainstorming what concepts we could translate into a pop-up take-out model out of EVENTMRKT's kitchen."
As they "navigated the world of pop-ups and ghost kitchens," Ghost Taco was an immediate hit, she said.
It popped up and then disappeared for three years, "both thrilling Newmarket's food scene and disappointing them when we weren't open," Buckley said.
"When people were driving from all over the GTA to see us, and sending us hate mail when we were not open, we knew we were onto something special."
Ghost Taco opened late in 2023 as a permanent location at last.
Now, the restaurant is franchising its "unique unauthentic Mexican tacos," with a location in Whitby and an opening coming in Peterborough this spring.
"We're here to prove the smallest of ideas can truly become something huge," Buckley said.
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