TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Birria is one of the most popular Mexican dishes, and it's one of the specialties at local restaurant Los Tapatios Taco Grill.
"What became the trendiest dish is the birria tacos, the crispy ones with cheese in particular, and a small consummate to dip the tacos in," said restaurant owner Alejandro Maya.
The restaurant has been serving birria in many forms since opening its first location in Rose Park in 2020.
"We initially started this so we could share a little piece of our culture, our dishes, and it's happiness to me to see people come try it," Maya said.
Back then, they faced the challenges of COVID-19 head-on. But they eventually grew their business to three locations. Now their Taylorsville location is facing hardship after Maya says a burglary happened after-hours Friday night. He says the thief took their register, phones, speakers, and food.
"What's most important to me is the staff and the customers feeling safe here. I could care less about anything they took," Maya said.
Maya said he reported the theft to the Taylorsville Police. He believes the culprit got into the restaurant through the back door because of damage he found, but there's no way for him to be certain. He said the person stole the DVR from the cameras and the footage wasn't backed up to a cloud.
"It just felt like everything got taken away," Maya said.
FOX 13 News reached out to the Taylorsville Police Department to learn more about the incident but has not heard back.
The burglary, combined with declining traffic, brings Maya to tears, but after hearing what happened Friday night, people like Jacki Ortiz and Adrian Gomez came to the restaurant Sunday to show support.
"I think it's just important to show up and show out for local businesses," Ortiz said. "I think it's really important showing your community some love. I think it's the best way to stay connected with each other."
While Maya is hopeful that the person responsible will face consequences, he also wants other business owners to take extra precautions.
"Quick reminder to other business owners that have cameras: make sure you're backed up and have your footage at least on the cloud," he said.
