Oakland taqueria stays closed amid spat

The owner of Tacos el Ultimo Baile said he will close his widely popular taqueria through March 2024 due to declining sales amid construction at Fruitvale Public Market in Oakland.

Dominic Prado, who announced the extended closure late last month, told SFGATE that he needed to close the location to stay afloat and will focus on pop-ups and catering events despite having opened his first brick-and-mortar less than a year ago.

“I tried it for months and tried to make it work but it’s just stressful upon other stresses,” Prado said.

It’s been a rough few months for Prado, who opened Tacos el Ultimo Baile at the Fruitvale Public Market last fall, after building a following via his successful taco truck. An outdoor seating space in front of the restaurant was a massive perk when he signed the lease to move into the space formerly housing Nyum Bai. But during construction, that area has been fenced off to make way for a new stairwell. 

“My patio seating has been erased,” Prado said. “If someone would’ve told me ahead of time that this was going to take place, I would’ve never opened a space there.”

The Fruitvale Public Market, which is managed by The Unity Council, currently has outdoor seating available for all tenants located right by the main entrance, which is not far from Tacos el Ultimo Baile. Prado decided to add outdoor picnic tables late last month for customer use in addition to this seating, given that the patio area close to his taqueria has been fenced off.

The Unity Council quickly ordered him to remove the tables or face legal action. Prado shared a copy of the notice on Instagram and called The Unity Council “#slumlords.” Days later, on Aug. 23, Prado received another letter that threatened further legal action when an elderly man injured himself trying to sit at the picnic tables.

“You singlehandedly made the decision to install the tables, without regard for your fellow merchants or the safety of community members who can’t use these tables safely,” the letter read. “Your decision to install these tables in the common area of the patio without permission from the Landlord and/or Landlords Agent, is a direct violation of your Lease Agreement.”

The Unity Council has hosted monthly meetings with tenants on the status of the project, according to Caheri Gutierrez, a spokesperson at The Unity Council. She said that construction began earlier this year and that, once complete, it will help boost both the local economy and the merchants inside the space. According to Gutierrez, Prado’s opinions do not reflect all the tenants at the market and she added that The Unity Council hopes to “support small business, not to close them down.”

Still, Prado thinks more can be done. When he spoke with SFGATE on Thursday, he said that the merchants inside had asked The Unity Council to add signs indicating that the merchants inside were open for business during construction. Gutierrez told SFGATE that signs would be added after the Labor Day holiday but could not comment on why signs were not added sooner.  

Updated seating and tables will added at the market at the end of the construction project, according to The Unity Council.