Another Bay Area vegan restaurant bites the dust, this time in Berkeley

Flacos Tacos, for years a go-to spot for vegan Mexican food in Berkeley, is closing its brick-and-mortar location on Dec. 30, 2023.

“We want to thank all of the people who have given us the chance to serve them and make it this far but as of now, we can no longer sustain our relationship to our community and people,” the restaurant posted on Instagram. (The news was first reported by Berkeleyside.)

Flacos started off as a farmers market stand in 2001 and soon moved into a charming little hut by the Ashby BART station. Founder Antonio Magaña “grew up enjoying the traditional family recipes from his Abuelitas Carmen & Santos ‘Chata,'” according to the restaurant’s website. “As a child, he and his siblings would help his mother in the kitchen, and these memories inspired the creation of Flacos. He took those dishes and replaced all the animal ingredients with vegetarian-based substitutes.”

This may not be the total end of Flacos, though. Current owner Anthony Magaña (nephew of Antonio) has set up a GoFundMe (gofundme.com/f/help-save-flacos) to help the restaurant transition to an industrial kitchen, which would facilitate grab-and-go meals, take-out options and pop-ups. “We are here to try and save Flacos, and want to be able to adjust to this new economic climate, but we need your help,” writes Magaña.

As of today, the fundraiser has collected $5,476 of a $20,000 goal.

It’s been a rather brutal year for vegan spots in the Bay Area. Among the restaurants that shuttered are VeganBurg in San Francisco, the vegan-friendly Pizza Flora in San Jose, and Souley Vegan and the brick-and-mortar location of Vegan Mob both in Oakland.