By Sara Beth Williams–
Beto’s Tacos has been a staple on Auburn Boulevard for more than a decade, known for its authentic Mexican dishes made fresh to order.
But during an interview in early November, owner Hortencia Molina said the restaurant is fighting for survival amid ongoing road construction, nighttime lighting issues, and an increase in nearby taco vendors that she says are pulling away their customers.
Molina and her husband, Sigifregio De La Torre, took over the restaurant in 2013. Before that, she spent years working in restaurants and running a small personal catering business. When the previous owner sold the establishment, the couple took the opportunity to pursue entrepreneurship.
“Over the years it was pretty nice,” Molina said of running the restaurant. “Especially during COVID, we were doing very well.”
During the pandemic, Molina said having the drive-thru helped keep her restaurant afloat.
The restaurant now offers indoor dining, drive-thru, and catering for events with 10 or more people, and customers can also order online through various delivery platforms. Their drive-thru setup once kept them busier than neighboring restaurants.
“We’re the only one with a drive-thru,” Molina said, referencing several other Mexican restaurants up and down Auburn Boulevard.
Beto’s Tacos offers traditional Mexican faire such as menudo, tacos, enchiladas, and tostadas, along with other options like carne asada fries and shrimp cocktail, plus vegan options.
“The only crash we’ve had is during construction,” Molina said as she described a steep decline in traffic as roadwork along Auburn Boulevard has increasingly restricted access.
Parking entrances are difficult to navigate, and visibility is greatly reduced after sunset, Molina said, due to the electricity being turned off by construction or utility companies. Molina said there is light inside her restaurant, but no light to attract customers on the exterior of the restaurant.
Despite having a drive-thru and catering services, Molina said most of their regular customers, once frequent visitors, now stop by only once every few months.
As of the first week of November, the couple estimates they’ve lost up to 75 percent of their revenue, beginning early in the year as economic conditions deteriorated. The situation was only exasperated by the lack of foot traffic.
“We’ve already used all our savings,” she added. “It’s gone. The situation is painful.”
In addition to construction and economic challenges, Molina said two new sidewalk taco vendors have set up shop down the road, only a short distance away.
“We don’t sell tacos at night because those vendors are right there. They take our customers,” Molina said, referring to a pop-up taco kitchen that she said has set up shop in the lot near the Citrus Heights Beauty College. “It’s killing us one way or the other.”
Molina said she and her husband have even considered purchasing their own food truck and shutting down the brick-and-mortar restaurant if things don’t improve.
She noted that she has already spoken with city staff, but said she was told there is no monetary assistance available for businesses impacted by the ongoing construction.
The Sentinel reached out to the City of Citrus Heights on Tuesday, Nov. 18 for comment on any conversations had with the restaurant but did not hear back by Saturday. The Sentinel will update this story if the City responds with a statement.
Representatives from local businesses, the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce, the City of Citrus Heights, and the newly launched Citrus Heights Business Corridor Coalition participated in a fall business walk on Nov. 14 on Auburn Boulevard, offering to assist businesses that are being negatively impacted by ongoing construction.
Following the business walk, business leaders reported mixed findings, saying some businesses were seeing a negative impact from the construction and others were not seeing as much or any negative impact. Representatives offered businesses a myriad of resources, including police department contacts, city, and Chamber contacts, and information on the new business coalition.
The City of Citrus Heights has also launched a Love Local campaign to help spread the word about local businesses along Auburn Boulevard, including featuring multiple businesses in videos and on social media and their website. Beto’s Tacos has been featured in at least one video.
Despite all the challenges, as construction nears completion, Molina hopes her restaurant will still be standing when the improvements are finally done.
“People say, if you pass this, you can pass anything,” she said. “But right now it’s really hard.”
For now, she and her husband continue to show up each day, cooking meals from scratch and hoping customers can find their way through the construction maze.
“I hope we are still alive,” Molina said.
Beto’s Tacos is located at 8032 Auburn Blvd.
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