Taco Boy Expanding to Asheville

Taco Boy, the popular Mexican-inspired restaurant that was first founded on Folly Beach in 2006, is expanding its brand outside of South Carolina. The family of taquerias currently has three locations: the flagship restaurant on Folly, a second in downtown Charleston, and the latest in Summerville, but by the end of 2022, Taco Boy plans to open in West Asheville, North Carolina. Plus, in early 2023, they intend to open their second Tar Heel State location in South Asheville’s Biltmore Park. 

The new openings in Asheville will coincide with the rollout of a new food and beverage menu across all locations, which will showcase updates from Taco Boy’s new Culinary Director, the Charleston-based chef Francisco Alvarez. The restaurant will also debut a new craft cocktail and beverage menu from Taco Boy’s new Beverage Director, Asheville-based mixologist Maty Hollingsworth later this year.

Taco Boy West Asheville can be found at 521 Haywood Rd., on West Asheville’s main thoroughfare. Hiring will begin in November. The new restaurant in South Asheville will be at 2 Town Square Blvd. #130 in Biltmore Park Town Square, and is expected to open as early as late January 2023. Hiring is expected to take place around the New Year.

“I couldn’t be more excited to bring Taco Boy to Asheville,” said Taco Boy founding partner and owner Karalee Nielsen Fallert. “Living in both cities has confirmed what I always believed as a visitor: that our values, as a family of neighborhood taquerias, align with the greater sense of purpose I feel within the community in Western North Carolina. We believe that all good things are possible with the power of inclusivity, generosity, interconnectedness and tacos….and always EXTRA guac!”

At both its new Asheville locations, Taco Boy will continue to partner with local nonprofits for a variety of fundraising initiatives, just as it does in Charleston.