ENGLEWOOD, Fla. – After a month of closure for renovations, Nando’s Taqueria in Englewood reopened on Friday, August 23. Less than two days later, the restaurant was forced to close again after a break-in.
Nando Pina and Erika Nunez have owned and operated Nando’s Taqueria food truck since 2012. The pair have been selling authentic Mexican food from the truck at the same location at 2640 S McCall Rd since 2013.
Last month, the pair began moving the food truck indoors and converting the business into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, which opened Friday.
Watch Alex Orenczuk, Fox 4’s community correspondent for Charlotte County, report on Nando’s Taqueria:
“It was sad”: Nando’s Taqueria in Englewood robbed and temporarily closed
“It’s been a long road to get these walls built and for this dream to finally come true,” Nunez said. “We are definitely living the American dream, as we tell our children.”
Shortly after the opening, a burglar put an end to the restaurant’s success.
Alex Orenczuk.
“We were open on Friday and celebrating and cheering that we were back to work,” Nunez said. “We closed on Saturday night and took a well-deserved day off on Sunday. Then we came back in on Monday morning and found everything was a mess.”
Nunez said a burglar broke in through the front door and stole cash from the register, important documents from the safe, and caused damage to the building and the food truck itself.
“It was sad, we were really heartbroken,” Nunez said.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation and the restaurant has since been closed.
When Nando’s Taqueria posted the incident on its Facebook page, the Englewood community rallied support for the restaurant. The restaurant reopened Monday evening.
Alex Orenczuk.
“Facebook told me something happened, they got robbed and I need to support local business,” a customer at the restaurant told FOX 4. “And I love tacos.”
Nunez told FOX 4 that she hopes the burglar will be caught. For Nando’s Taqueria, the incident was just a minor setback.
“This is just another setback. We have to keep going and not lose sight of what we have to achieve,” Nunez said.
