Ghost Taco was something that EventMrkt CEO Samantha Buckley expected would fade away.
Started amidst a pandemic lockdown in 2021, Ghost Taco was a pop-up restaurant in Newmarket made in part to help keep staff employed during the downturn.
“We didn’t want to lay off our staff again, so we knew we needed to get creative,” she said. “After our first couple of nights, when we started the pop-up, we sold out of everything … We were like, ‘Wow, that is crazy. We can keep that going. Keep everyone employed.’”
Now, Ghost Taco is set to become a more permanent fixture on Main Street Newmarket. EventMrkt has announced plans to launch a permanent location on Main Street South.
It comes after the restaurant has operated for limited hours and days out of the EventMrkt space. Buckley said they have already developed much of what will go into the new permanent location. She described the difficulties of launching EventMrkt and Ground Burger Bar, which they also own.
“The biggest, hardest challenge we had was creating a menu and coming up with a solid assortment of food and having the right people in place to hammer out that vision,” she said, adding that with Ghost Taco, “We already have that in place. It’s really just about creating the brand and vibe that we feel we want to have for the space.”
The restaurant is opening on the former site of the longtime Cafe Hesed. Buckley said they jumped on the opportunity for the location with the lease ending in that space.
The permanent location was met with positivity on social media. Ghost Taco has amassed more than 4,700 followers on Instagram.
“Such exciting news,” one supporter said. “You guys are killing the food game, love it!”
Buckley credited a different approach for garnering the following.
“We kind of branded ourselves as unauthentic Mexican. It’s a little bit more of a unique concept,” she said. “Everything’s got a bit of a modern twist to it.”
The restaurant is targeting to open in February 2023.
She said it will involve transitioning some core staff to running the new restaurant, along with hiring more employees. Ghost Taco has generally been a takeout experience, but she said there will be sit-down space now as well.
“This space is going to be a vibe that is unparalleled in Newmarket,” she said. “We’re really excited to see how everything’s received once we open.”
