Top Local Taco Spot Opens at Sky Harbor. Take a Look Inside.
Family, friends and a mariachi band gathered to celebrate the airport's newest restaurant on Friday.
The sound of trumpets rang out over the B Gates on Friday morning as a mariachi band serenaded the crowd gathered at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's newest restaurant.
With balloons, margarita samples and a ribbon cutting, Phoenix favorite Tacos Chiwas celebrated its grand opening.
Owners Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, Aviation Director Chad Makovsky and SSP Senior Vice President Scott Welding said a few words, thanking the teams that brought the new restaurant to life. When the band played the classic "Hermoso Cariño," the crowd of family, friends, media and airport officials began to sing along.
"When we first opened our McDowell location, our dream was just to make a living," Hernandez told Phoenix New Times. "All of this is way beyond any of our expectations or dreams."
Tacos Chiwas launched its first location nine years ago in a former Dairy Queen. Over the years, it expanded throughout the Valley and now serves customers at its restaurants in midtown Phoenix on Indian School Road and in Mesa on Main Street.
Hernandez and Holguin have also opened Cocina Chiwas and Aruma Cafe in Tempe and partnered with other local chefs to open Espiritu and Main Burgers in Mesa, among others. In her short speech, Holguin addressed the growth, noting their humble beginnings.
"We never imagined that one day we would have the opportunity to share our food and our story with the world, let alone in an international airport like Sky Harbor," she said. "This location isn't just another restaurant for us, it's a symbol of how far we've come, of all the early mornings and long nights and hard work poured into every single taco, every ingredient and every decision."
As the family gathered to cut the ribbon on the new space, Hernandez and Holguin's daughter grabbed the big red scissors that were almost the size of her.
"We look forward to serving travelers from around the globe with something real, something made with our heart," Holguin said, "nuestra corazon."
Tacos Chiwas in Terminal 4, located near Gate B5, offers a slightly different menu from its Valley counterparts. Travelers can expect tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads and snacks such as chips and guacamole and elote. Early morning travelers can enjoy a breakfast burrito, but don't get your hopes up for airport gorditas.
This is, in part, because the airport location is run by SSP, a concessionaire that operates 300 different brands at 57 airports in the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. SSP operates about half of the restaurants at Sky Harbor, with the other half operated by similar company HMS Host.
The airport restaurants operate separately from their brands. The Chiwas owners, however, got in the kitchen with airport staff to train them on the recipes and preparation. They plan to visit around once a month to maintain consistency with the restaurants, according to Hernandez.
Behind the bar, a bartender shakes fresh margaritas. The small kitchen has a tortilla machine, which presses and trims fresh tortillas on the spot.
"I think we're the only ones in the airport that are making the tortillas from scratch," Hernandez said. "We're trying to make it as good as it potentially can be in such a high volume situation."
As travelers made their way to their gates on Friday morning, the band played, the crowd danced and kids ran around playing underneath the ceiling of green and white flags. Many stopped to join in the fun.
"We've been talking about this opening for almost a year," Hernandez said. "So it's good to just get to the point where we're like, alright, we are here."