Dec. 11, 2024 marked a significant milestone for Taqueria Juanita. This beloved food truck, which started five summers ago by Juana Silva Cortez selling her authentic Mexican tacos, burritos, and more, is now expanding into a restaurant on the west side of Sioux Falls. The journey began with the Taqueria Juanita trailer parked at a gas station on Ninth Street and Kiwanis Avenue. In her third season, Cortez moved to a new spot at 12th Street and Willow Avenue with a vibrant trailer and began reaching a wider audience with events across Sioux Falls.

Realizing the Dream

Cortez and her husband, Miguel Silva Rodriguez, have always dreamed of having their own place. As Cortez said, "The customers have been asking for us to have our own spot so they can enjoy our food all year. It's always been our goal." If the remodeling goes as planned, they hope to open in early January. They have been working hard, painting the interior to make it as colorful as the food truck. The purple food truck is recognizable, and Cortez wants to maintain the same clean and good presentation with the restaurant.

Expanding the Menu

The menu at Taqueria Juanita is set to expand. Cortez plans to include soups and offer her popular birria as a daily meat option. On Sundays, there will be special dishes like menudo, carnitas, and chicharrons. For breakfast, the restaurant will serve items like chilaquiles made with tortilla chips and eggs in red or green sauce, chorizo-and-egg burritos, and a Southwest version with potatoes and other veggies. In the summer, Cortez envisions offering more seafood dishes like parrillada, a fajita plate for sharing with shrimp, octopus, and oysters. The restaurant will also serve beer, Mexican soft drinks, and other beverages.

Operating Model

Customers will place their orders at the counter, and the dining room can seat 50 to 60 people. Rodriguez will continue to work full time at Gage Brothers but will also assist at the restaurant. As Cortez said, "We'll be a family business. Our two older children have already helped on the food truck, and they'll be part of this too. We also have a great team that has been with us for a couple of years. They're like family."

Future Plans

The family plans to keep the food truck and use it for larger special events initially. Someday, if they have enough staff, Cortez hopes to see the food truck operating daily on the east side of the city. To stay updated, follow Taqueria Juanita on Facebook.

Inflation has been a topic of concern for many, and its effects on grocery prices are particularly felt. In November, food at home prices saw a 0.5% increase month over month. While this may seem like a small increase, it still has a significant impact on consumers.

Professor's Perspective on Food Inflation

Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, believes that 2024 has been significantly below average for food inflation. He stated that food prices will likely end up about 1.2% to 1.3% above where they were in 2023, which is approximately half the historical norm. However, he also acknowledged that consumers don't feel like things are normal or affordable when shopping. People are looking for food prices to come down, but he doesn't expect that to happen.This is because some of the factors contributing to higher food prices are related to climate change. Droughts can impact crop yields and meat prices. For example, beef prices increased by more than 3% last month.

Impact of Avian Flu on Poultry Prices

Nada Sanders, a professor of supply chain management at Northeastern University, pointed out that the avian flu has had a significant impact on hens, chickens, and eggs. As a result, egg prices have been very volatile. Consumers have responded to these higher prices by adjusting their diets and cutting back on going out to restaurants.Tom Bailey, a senior analyst for consumer foods at Rabobank, noted that there is a lot less demand for going out to restaurants. Transactions at restaurants are down 6% in the third quarter of this year. This shows that consumers are becoming more conscious of their spending and are looking for ways to save money.

Chefs' Response to Higher Food Prices

Jonathan Poyourow, a professor and chef at Johnson & Wales University, has noticed that many of his students are designing meal plans and recipes with less meat. He himself has incorporated this into his cooking. For example, instead of using lamb or beef, he used roasted chickpeas as the main protein source in some Mediterranean food he made. By adding a little sumac, lemon zest, and tahini, the dish was delicious.This shows that chefs are also adapting to the higher food prices by finding creative ways to use alternative ingredients. It also highlights the importance of being flexible with one's diet and finding affordable options.In conclusion, inflation may be slowing, but its impact on grocery prices is still felt by consumers. By adjusting their diets and cutting back on going out, consumers are trying to cope with the higher prices. Chefs are also playing a role in this by finding creative ways to use alternative ingredients. It will be interesting to see how these trends continue to evolve in the coming months.