Rogers Park 'taco crawl' boosts local businesses
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Finding a good taco in Rogers Park is easy, but trying them all proves to be more difficult.
That's what inspired the Rogers Park Business Alliance's annual taco crawl this past Thursday.
Sandi Price, executive director of Rogers Park Business Alliance, said the association reaches out to businesses between Devon and Howard Street.
"We reach out to the restaurants in that area and ask them if they'd be interested in participating," Price said. "They obviously agree to make tacos for however many people we sell tickets for."
For both the businesses and the patrons, participation is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
"We do have a maximum," Price said as they sold out of tickets.
Patrons are given a "taco passport" and a map outlining all participating restaurants. They are then sent to traverse Clark Street in search of tacos— kind of like a scavenger hunt.
"You show them your passport, they enter your taco and you go on your way. So you get to walk ten blocks and you get a little bit of exercise while you're eating all these tacos, which helps with all the tacos," Price said.
The Rogers Park Business Alliance acts as a chamber of commerce for the diverse North Side community.
"The reason we're doing this is to help promote the business community in Rogers Park," Price said. "We want you to find the five tacos that you like the best and come back. Bring your friends. Enjoy some of the other food that the restaurants have to offer."
One Clark Street restaurateur, Abel Ramirez, said the taco crawl is a great way to bring in new faces— many of whom soon become regulars.
"They bring more business….It's good to know to let the people know [what] we, have you. They want to have [our] nice tacos— al pastor. It's pork and sauce… And, you know, nice sauce. So we hope they like it," said Ramirez, who owns and operates La Choza Mexican Grill at 7022 N Clark St.
There are over a dozen different places to grab a taco on Clark Street, including a couple of hidden gems.
"A couple of the places that you're going to go here on Clark Street, you're going to walk into a grocery store and you're going to go, 'Why am I here?' And they will direct you to the back of the grocery store where there's a little taqueria. Sometimes they have booths where for you to sit and enjoy and sometimes they don't. It's just carryout," said Price. "Now, maybe people will also know that there are more taquerias than they thought on Clark Street."