Many restaurants and other eateries offer light fare, not meant to be that filling.
Make no mistake: Ghett’Yo Taco mostly serves food that’s meant to be filling.
With a wide range of tacos, burritos, breakfast burritos, slider burgers, appetizers, beer and cocktails, Ghett’Yo Tacos has occupied an inconspicuous location in Downtown Chandler for the past five years.
Located in a 100-year-old house on South Oregon Street, conveniently placed between Chicago Street and West Frye Road, Ghett’Yo Tacos, the small eatery has indoor and covered outdoor seating.
Wally Ansari, president of B-Squared Concepts, runs Ghett’Yo Tacos, as well as Ghett’Yo Pizza in Ahwatukee and recently opened Ghett’Yo Wings at 15th Avenue and Bethany Home in Phoenix. He took on Ghett’Yo Tacos about four years ago — about a year after it opened.
A pending liquor license will be one of the next expansions Ansari pursues for the Chandler location. The location is in the process of upgrading its liquor license and Ansari says he’s in the process of revamping the lunch and dinner options.
“I like a diverse menu,” Ansari said. “We added the sliders and burritos and now I want to bring in fajitas and bigger tacos. And increasing the drink and drink take-home options will help, too.”
Ansari also said he’s considering opening a second Ghett’Yo Tacos location somewhere in the Chandler-Gilbert part of the East Valley and is in talks with various parties about a Peoria expansion in the West Valley as well.
He said a top assistant came up with the name, which is meant to be simply “a fun play on words.”
The parking and the outdoor seating, as well as a diverse to-go menu, came in handy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had already been up to speed in a lot of ways when the pandemic started,” Ansari said. “We were well-positioned, already making to-go and third-party delivery orders regularly.”
Ansari said he continues to negotiate with third-party delivery services to keep the rates low, but that it isn’t easy. He said he wants to get away from being overly dependent on app-based services.
“Twenty years ago, restaurants could still hire their own drivers, but the liability and cost of insurance simply got too high,” he said. “The whole Valley restaurant climate has changed.”
The fast-rising cost of raw product and supplies hasn’t made things any easier, Ansari said.
Even before Avian Flu led to a national spike in the price of eggs, he said, his company is paying between 30% and 35% more for many items than it was in March 2020.
“The margins are crazy tight,” the New York City native said. “We can sell things at-cost or slightly above, but we can’t sell finished products at a loss and still pay everyone.”
Ansari said the spikes in pork and chicken have been especially tough to deal with. However, he and his team persevere, knowing there are the occasional thank-yous from grateful customers.
“We serve a combination of things not many others have, especially in Chandler,” Ansari said. “And we are continuing to grow, and it’s nice for that to happen while our team is working well together.”
Ghett’Yo Tacos is at 241 S. Oregon St. in Downtown Chandler. The restaurant is open seven days per week and can be reached through its website, ghettyotaco.com, or at 480-726-9654.
Jason W. Brooks is a News editor for the Daily Independent and the Chandler Independent.
He covers the Chandler area for both yourvalley.net and the monthly print edition while writing for and assisting in the production of the Daily Independent.
Brooks is a well-traveled journalist who has documented life in small American communities in nearly all U.S. time zones.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised there and in suburban Los Angeles, he has covered community news in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and northern Arizona.
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