A beloved taqueria in San Francisco's Mission District has reopened a day after a car crashed into the restaurant's storefront in a hit-and-run Wednesday afternoon, according to the owner.
San Francisco police initially responded to reports of a car colliding with a building at the corner of 18th and Valencia streets, where the family-owned Taqueria El Buen Sabor is located, shortly after 1:15 p.m., authorities said. In the aftermath, investigators determined that a road rage incident led to one vehicle crashing into the pillar that sits just outside the taqueria's front door.
Miguel Echeverría, who has owned and operated the restaurant since 1995, said there were luckily only a handful of customers inside when the crash happened.
"It happened with about four customers inside during one of our more busier hours," Echeverría told The Standard. "Everyone inside was startled when we heard the crash."
A short while later, officers found an unoccupied vehicle on 14th and Natoma streets with damage matching the incident, police said. No arrests have been made.
The San Francisco Fire Department said no one was injured in the crash and added that while there was structural damage to the pillar, the apartments above the restaurant were safe to occupy.
The city Department of Building Inspection is in contact with the property manager for further evaluation of the damaged pillar, officials said.
As structural repair workers arrived to assess the damage on Wednesday afternoon, Echeverría said he was unsure when he would be able to reopen, saying it depends on how long it takes to repair the storefront. The entrance around the taqueria was cordoned off with yellow caution tape, and a wooden stud and joist had been placed next to the pillar to help support the entrance.
He did not yet have a cost estimate for the repairs.
On Thursday, however, Echeverría told The Standard that he reopened the restaurant and was allowing customers to eat inside once again.
"We are treating it like normal," he said. "We still don't know how long the repairs will take due to the need for permits and whatnot."