A Florida-based taco joint has abruptly closed its two Atlanta area locations as well as multiple locations in its home market. Capital Tacos, which opened its Atlanta area locations less than a year ago, has now closed both. The Atlanta restaurants - located in Johns Creek and Peachtree Corners - opened in May and November 2023, respectively.
In Peachtree Corners, Capital Tacos was located in Village at Peachtree Corners (5270 Peachtree Parkway), where the taco joint occupied a 2,400 square foot space near Flying Biscuit Cafe in the Lidl-anchored center. The Johns Creek location was located in Johns Creek Festival (11160 Medlock Bridge Road) where the taco joint backfilled a 2,145 square foot former Tin Drum Asian Kitchen.
Capital Tacos, which got its start in the Tampa Bay community of Land O' Lakes in 2013, began franchising in 2022. The company also entered the Atlanta market in 2022 via a partnership with ghost kitchen operator CloudKitchens, butthat restaurant closed just a few months later. The "Digital Kitchen" was located at 800 Forrest Street in West Midtown. Yelp and Google reviews were largely negative, which could reflect the limited control the brand had over the location and their desire to open corporate units that provide them a better opportunity to make a good impression in a new market.
That said, we were one of the first 100 at the Peachtree Corners opening and found the food terribly mediocre with one friend calling it "Taco Bell-esqe" and another saying that was giving it too much credit. The brand claimed to feature "Tacos Done Right," but with most tacos pushing six bucks, and really not as good as other less expensive options, it's no wonder the restaurants were often empty.
Even free, we used only three of our 52 free tacos. The saying "this place is falling apart" is overused by some, but on our recent visit to the Johns Creek restaurant, a chair that was for some reason affixed to the wall of the restroom literally fell from the wall as we were washing our hands.
Also worth noting, six of the past ten Google reviews for the Johns Creek location were one star, two were two stars, and two were five stars. Overall, the restaurant had a 3.9 rating with 173 reviews. Among the disappointments cited in the reviews were incorrect meals, excessive wait times, lack of consistency, and poor service.
The worst part is that the two Atlanta locations were corporately owned and managed!
The Johns Creek unit had less than ideal access and parking and was also spitting distance from an established Moe's Southwest Grill, that while not amazing, has been in the market for years and had better access.
In addition to the two Atlanta area closures, the company also shuttered restaurants in the Florida communities of Port Richey, Land O' Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Brandon, and Riverview, as well as in Mallard Creek in Charlotte which had only opened this past July. A second Charlotte area location was previously planned for Cotswold Village, but it has since been removed from the company's website. The chain closed two locations in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2020.
A third Atlanta area location was planned for Newnan and while it is still displayed on the Capital Tacos website as "coming soon," the address provided is a residential road [Blue Ridge Drive], rather than 1111 Bullsboro Road, where they were set to occupy a former Moe's.
The company's website indicates that there are currently just four locations open: three in Florida and one in Colorado. In addition to the iffy Newnan restaurant, the website suggests single units are "coming soon" to New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
Did you ever patronize Capital Tacos? Why do you think Capital Tacos failed? What would you like to see open in place of the shuttered Capital Tacos in town?
Please share your thoughts below.