Today, Sonora Taqueria owners Michelle Salazar de la Rocha and Sam Napier announced in a statement on Instagram that they will close their Stoke Newington restaurant, with last service on Saturday, October 31.
“After what has been our most successful year to date, we have decided to close and take an indefinite break from the taqueria,” they wrote on Instagram.
Citing “an immense amount of hardship in our personal lives” as part of the reason for the decision, the couple said that while they’re “very proud” of what they’ve built, it’s “given us a new perspective on what we want for our lives as a couple. We feel ready to move on and try something new”.
Sonora Taqueria opened in 2020 as a food stall at Hackney’s Netil Market. It quickly amassed a dedicated fan base for its short but mighty menu of tacos (including the barbacoa, with its slow-cooked beef in a rich chilli sauce; and the adobada, with marinated grilled pork, pineapple and habanero). Widely praised for bringing a taste of the Mexican state of Sonora to east London, Sonora opened it’s a permanent restaurant in 2023. Since then, Sonora Taqueria has consistently drawn queues snaking down Stoke Newington High Street, locals drawn to the pleasingly unpretentious spot for a couple of £4.50 tacos.
In the statement, the pair said the “decision might come as a surprise, but this year we have been stripping away elements of the taqueria that felt like a burden and have spent the last few months trying to genuinely enjoy the end.
“This has always been a tool to showcase Sonora, Mexico,” they said. “And we’re really proud to have done so. So now it’s time for us to go back home and touch base.”
Sonora Taqueria will close on Saturday, October 31.
