In 2020, Nicoletti was the general manager of Biker's Jim's. Because business was slow during the pandemic, that restaurant was closed on Tuesdays, so Nicoletti launched a taco pop-up series. In 2021, he and co-owner Chris Carey launched Gringos Tacos as a food truck.
, who'd led a family buy-out of legendary watering hole My Brother's Bar in 2017, stepped in to take it over."We're just going to continue running and operating the place as is while observing what's great and what's key, and then make little tweaks here and there," heTrue to that sentiment, many things have stayed the same at the Merc. But recently, there have been some changes. On June 30, longtime chef Jeff Massingill retired.
"I learned from [Biker] Jim that you've gotta be unique and set yourself apart," Nicoletti says of the Gringos Tacos menu."We're unique in what we do. We're like the pirates of the kitchen." The hours have changed — brunch is no longer offered, for example — and the style of service is different, too. While the previous menu was geared toward sit-down dining, Gringos Tacos is able to serve up food faster, making it easier for people to grab a bite before or after an event."It's a great new direction for us," Newman says.