Nixta Taqueria, the nationally recognized establishment run by Edgar Rico and Sara Mardangabi, will be temporarily closing to fulfill unexpected requirements by the City of Austin to upgrade the restaurant’s electrical capacity. Despite having conducted inspections and issued Nixta its permits before opening in 2019, the city is — in effect — retroactively suspending the existing permits and requiring Nixta to undergo the permitting process again.
“No one I’ve spoken to has ever heard of anything like this,” James Beard Award-winning chef Edgar Rico tells What Now Austin.
Rehashing the situation, Mr. Rico explains that a city official arrived to Nixta unannounced on a recent 110-degree day, informing Rico that the establishment was “drawing too much power.”
“Our meter was pulled out on August 17th. That’s when all of this started.”
Articulating the situation, Eater reports that “The technician initially told the Nixta team it was a ‘simple fix,’ stating that the restaurant had to call the city and request an emergency permit to ensure the power was turned on the following day. However, when Nixta’s electrician went to do just that, the permit was denied because the address had an old air conditioning unit that was installed in 2018 that was never permitted by the previous tenant. Nixta opened in 2019, having already obtained the required permits and approvals.”
Now, Rico and Mardangabi face the challenges and costs of upgrading, repermitting, and compensating thirty-five workers for an indefinite period of time. The city’s alleged suggestion — that Nixta temporarily operate as a takeout establishment — is an idea that Rico finds absurd and unrealistic.
“That’s just not how restaurants work.”
In response to the situation, the City of Austin issued a statement to Eater:
“We have pulled together a cross-departmental team to provide a path forward. Overloading of the customer’s electrical wiring was significant enough to cause overheating and melting of the wiring. Fortunately, this was detected before further damage occurred. The restaurant will need to upgrade its electrical service and make other needed repairs to ensure safe operations, such as meeting fire code and accessibility requirements. Our expectation is that we will be able to find solutions that allow them to continue limited operations while critical electrical hazards and life safety issues are addressed. Our small business community is important to us, and we are committed to the safety of restaurant staff, customers, and the community.”
As steps are taken to ensure a prompt reopening, Rico says they are considering running pop-ups across the city as well as serving out of their food truck with a “small amount of seating.”
Perhaps given Nixta’s profile, having been covered by The New York Times, TIME, and Food & Wine, public support has been swift and resounding. As of late Friday morning, Rico and Mardangabi GoFundMe has already raised $84,927, exceeding the $80K target in less than 48 hours.
