'Fresh-Mex' comes to Keizer Station

By JASON COX
Of the Keizertimes

When Taco Del Mar opened its doors for "fresh-Mex" in Keizer last Wednesday, the company also hit a significant milestone.

The store in Keizer is the chain's 250th location, with stores from California to Nova Scotia in the U.S. and Canada.

But franchise owner Gwen Felkins is no newbie to the restaurant industry. She owned several Subway stores in Oregon before opening the store at Keizer Station, but said she always enjoyed eating at Taco Del Mar when she found herself in Portland.

"The food was very good and was at a reasonable price," Felkins said.

She got a letter from the company asking if she would be interested in owning a franchise – and the rest is history. Felkins sold her Subway stores to open the first store in Keizer as well as four other planned stores in the greater Salem area.

If there's one thing Felkins learned from her restaurant experiences, it's the real estate agent's mantra – location, location, location. She said she picked Keizer Station because it is a rapidly growing development.

"In the first five days sales have exceeded anything we did at Subway, and I think it's because the food and value speak for themselves," Felkins said.

Felkins's personal favorite item is the Mondo Burrito, which comes with a choice of tortilla, meat and beans as well as rice and pico de gallo.

The store's décor looks like a mix of a surf shop and a tiki hut, and serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and a slew of other mostly Mexican food items. Vegetarian items are available and customers have the choice of a wide variety of toppings and side items.

"I think what makes it stand out is that its' a fun atmosphere, and that's part of their mission – to create a fun atmosphere for customers and employees," Felkins said.

She described their product as a bit of a mix between fast-food and more traditional Mexican restaurants.

"The value of the food is the same as a traditional restaurant, but the pricing is more like a Taco Bell," Felkins said.

Taco Del Mar Chief Executive Officer James Schmidt said the chain is pleased with opening its 250th store in Keizer.

"It's been a long time coming," Schmidt said. "We started about eight years ago and are very proud."

All but one of the company's stores are owner-operator franchises.

The store opened Wednesday, April 18.