Update: A third Taco Buddha location is opening! Hear all about it in this exclusive interview with owner Kurt Eller on the Arch Eats podcast.
Taco Buddha (7405 Pershing) has expanded its flagship University City location with a private event space, The Bendecido Room. Located at the corner of Jackson and Pershing, the space was previously home to Cursed Bikes and Coffee, which closed in February of last year.
“Bendecido means ‘blessed’ in Spanish,” explains Taco Buddha owner Kurt Eller. “We’ve gone from cursed to blessed.”
The Bendecido Room is the first project of Gastronauts Food Group, composed of Eller, Ben Hillman (of Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Lewis & Clark Capital), and Mike Johnson (of Sugarfire Smokehouse and Hi-Pointe Drive-In). “More are in the works,” according to Hillman.
The Bendecido Room includes a small bar and seating for 40 guests inside and 25 outside, which makes it a perfect spot “when guests want a little change of scenery,” Eller says. The group sees the room being used for wedding events, business meetings, birthday parties—any occasion that calls for tacos and margaritas. “We’ve already booked several after-work happy hours,” Hillman says.
The bar is equipped with a frozen margarita machine, which will see plenty of use, predict the partners. The space can be reserved Tuesday through Sunday during regular business hours. Eller will offer valet parking to larger bookings to help offset parking constraints.
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The Backstory
To some, the location was considered a “cursed” space, with a series of businesses—including Sofia Bistro, La Piazza, Bici Cafe, and Perjax—struggling to find success before Cursed Bikes and Coffee took over in 2017. Taco Buddha opened next door shortly thereafter, subleasing from Cursed and forming a symbiotic relationship: Taco Buddha offered food for Cursed’s customers, while Cursed provided overflow seating for the restaurant.
When Cursed closed in February of last year, Eller weighed his options. “Cursed was a perfect complement to Taco Buddha over the years,” he says. “Not only did they have complementary offerings, but their peak service times also didn’t conflict with ours. More than anything, Cursed aligned with our core goal of being community-based and for the community.”
At first, Eller considered another coffee concept but ultimately decided to stick with Taco Buddha’s brand. “A bar or extra seating didn’t feel like the right fit for us or the neighborhood,” he says. Instead, the idea for a private event space took shape, allowing Taco Buddha to expand in a sensible way. “We already did a lot of catering and got requests for private events,” he says. “Doing what we’re doing only makes sense.”
