FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A popular Fresno taco spot has closed its downtown restaurant, but the owner claims the business is not going away.
Tacos El Cabezon owner Armando Arias Jr. announced the permanent closure on social media Tuesday after the downtown location had been closed for about a month.
Earlier that day, after viewers reached out about his absence, Arias told FOX26 that he had adjusted the restaurant’s hours and was out purchasing produce.
Hours later, he announced plans to close the location.
Arias thanked downtown Fresno for its support and said the business recently purchased a food trailer, allowing Tacos El Cabezon to return to the mobile operation that helped build its following.
He says the business plans to continue serving its tacos and other menu favorites throughout Fresno, with more details about its return expected in the future.
This isn’t the first time Arias has gone “missing.”
Back in April, FOX26 looked into another absence after customers claimed he had been missing and that the restaurant was closed, phone lines were disconnected, and customers were asking nearby businesses what happened.
A post was also found on Facebook marketplace showing his food truck for rent.
FOX26 later learned a judgment against Arias Jr. was filed in Fresno County Superior Court stemming from an Ohio lawsuit in which Arias was ordered to pay more than half a million dollars.
An attorney told FOX26 Arias took out a loan and failed to pay it back.
At his Shaw and Maroa location, the logo was taken down, and a notice was found posted on the property stating Arias owed $8,500 in unpaid rent for February and March.
After the Fresno Police Department got involved, Arias was later found and claimed he had been hospitalized at Fresno Community Hospital.