San Diego runs on tacos, so every taco shop is a lifeline.

That lifeline was cut short last week for taco lovers in the southern part of San Diego County, where a branch of the popular taco restaurant Tacos El Gordo shut down due to a critical shortage of “taqueros” or taco makers, one restaurant employee said Friday.

“There are not enough ‘taqueros’ with the right kind of experience to make tacos the right way,” Delia Hernandez, an administrative assistant for Tacos El Gordo, told The San Diego Union-Tribune

A sign outside the Palm Avenue branch reading, “closed for lack of employees,” drew strong reactions and speculation when a photo of it was shared widely on social media this week.

BljsrgZHlhA

That photo, and subsequent reports, left San Diegans grieving on social media this week over the closure of the taco shop. One local sports journalist went so far as to call this a “taco crisis.” It also forced the company’s official Twitter account to respond to dozens of queries — “We’ll re open ASAP,” read one tweet.

The image of the sign outside the shop went viral and it drew speculation that workers there may have been deported or walked out because of a labor dispute. But that speculation is false, Hernandez told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

“We simply don’t have enough taco makers to keep that branch open, and that is the truth,” she said.

Hernandez explained that Tacos El Gordo recently opened a new branch on Broadway Avenue in Chula Vista, and that demand for cooks there was so high that they had to pull in the staff from the Palm Avenue location.

Tacos El Gordo has a total of five branches — two in San Diego County and three in Las Vegas. The official website of the Gaslamp Quarter lists a sixth branch coming soon in Downtown San Diego.

To reopen the Palm Avenue branch, Hernandez said they will need to hire 10 additional taco makers because of the demand. But efforts to hire them have so far been fruitless. She said a radio spot announcing employment openings didn’t get the job done, and added that Tacos El Gordo is extremely selective about its “taqueros.”

“Cooks have applied. People who know how to make burritos. But that’s not what we’re looking for. It takes skill to cook carne asada and adobada,” she added, referring to the types of meats used in the restaurant’s Tijuana-style tacos. “They need at least three years of experience.”

Hernandez said taco makers can make up to $15 an hour.

Got what it takes to be a “taquero”?

Hernandez says applicants should visit the taco restaurants’ headquarters on 1321 3rd Ave. in Chula Vista. Job seekers will asked to complete an application and do an in-person interview on the spot.

Good luck!

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.