The Sweet Taco: Mexican food AND doughnuts
The Sweet Taco in Willow Grove has a pastry case.
The twice-James Beard-nominated Taqueria del Sol is all the rage in its hometown of Atlanta.
But the two franchise locations in the Philly burbs... Ah. Not so much.
Owner Chris Blythe has converted the Willow Grove location (4001 Welsh Rd., in Willow Grove Pointe) into a new concept, The Sweet Taco.
The food is still Southwest/Mexican. But there are two big menu additions that Blythe could not attempt under the Taqueria del Sol nameplate.
Blythe is offering salads in addition to the burritos, tacos and nachos - chopped wedge, roasted veggie, chicken taco and signature salad topped with Mandarin oranges and shrimp.
And:
Doughnuts.
New investor David Orkin, a veteran real estate broker, says he ran into various donut concepts at trade shows and figured that they might work. Hence, the Sweet part of the name.
They hired a pastry chef, who puts out a dozen varieties daily from an assortment of 40. They're sold out of a regulation donut case.
Some interior modifications are in the works to The Sweet Taco, whose nearby competitors include Qdoba, Chipotle and Mad Mex.
They plan the addition of morning coffee to expand the dayparts and the subtraction of the liquor license to remove the bar. (You can get margs and Mexi beers there for now.)
The Springfield, Delco location will be converted, too.