Tuesday, May 11, marks the final Taco Tuesday for 琉璃神社鈥檚 Taco Time restaurant. After 40 years of tacos, the fast-food restaurant has had its lease terminated and is shuttering its doors for good.

In a statement posted on the taco shop鈥檚 front doors, owner Ray Heathcote said that it鈥檚 hard to fit 40 years into one paragraph.

鈥淚鈥檝e watched 琉璃神社 go through some of the best and the worst times, and we have hung in there experiencing all of it,鈥� wrote Heathcote. 鈥淚t breaks my heart to have to make this announcement, especially at a time when our team has made so many personal sacrifices to keep the doors open.鈥�

In 2019, Heathcote pleading to the public to help save the restaurant, which is located in the Dilworth Shopping Centre.

鈥淣ever missed a lease payment and always been a great tenant,鈥� reads part of the petition. 鈥淏ut overnight there was a demolition clause in the lease that the property management company is trying to enforce. So what does that mean? Well, for someone who has been in that location for 40 years, it means get out so they can tear down the building and replace it with a proposed StarBucks (sic).鈥�

In his statement hanging on the restaurant鈥檚 door, Heathcote said that he worked hard to extend the business鈥檚 lease with the landlord, Peterson Commercial Properties

鈥淚 guess it鈥檚 onto bigger and better things for them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n closing, it鈥檚 been a great run, and once again, thank you for all the years of support.鈥�

鈥� With files from Michael Rodriguez

READ MORE: 40 years of tacos: 琉璃神社 restaurant鈥檚 resolve is harder than its burritos

READ MORE: Coffee lovers delight: new Starbucks proposed for 琉璃神社

aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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