Staff photo
Get hungry, taco fans. Some locals are organizing a self-guided tour of the best taquerias in Springdale.
Jonathan and Amber Perrodin, founders of the grass-roots social media movement Team Springdale, came up with the idea for the tour which will be modeled loosely after the Fayetteville Ale Trail, a self-guided tour of the area’s craft breweries.
Taqueria Guanajuato is one of several mom-and-pop taco shops operating in Springdale
“The taquerias in Springdale are a huge aspect of the city that are unique for this region,” Jonathan told us. “We just thought it would be a fun way to build some bridges and connect some cultures that might not be regularly interacting.”
Team Springdale pitched the idea for the tour to the Springdale A&P Commission who recently agreed to give the group $1,000 to help make it a reality.
The Perrodins, along with locals Bryan Gott, Steven Jones, and Olivia Trimble, have been working on compiling a list of taquerias along with an online guide that will help non-Spanish speaking residents understand the menus for the local establishments.
Locals and visitors to the area can then reference a website – set to launch this spring – to discover the mom-and-pop taquerias, and visit them at their own pace.
The group plans to print hand-drawn maps of all the taco shops, but will mainly focus their promotional efforts online.
“We’ll have some giveaways, some “tag your taco tour” contests on Instagram, and we’ll pick a few each week to give you a free t-shirt or a sticker,” Perrodin said.
The organizers are also working on mini “tours inside the tour,” such as a list of taquerias within walking distance from downtown, or taquerias that can be accessed from the bike trails.
Perrodin said the plan is to include 10-15 taco shops on the tour. Taqueria El Cunado, Taqueria El Rey, Taqueria Guanajuato, and Charlie’s are a few shops he expects to participate.
If all goes well, the plan is to launch the tour during a ceremony honoring the completed Razorback Greenway on Saturday, May 2.
“That doesn’t mean people can’t go ahead and get started, though,” Jonathan said. “We want people to get out and try some of these great tacos.”
More details about the tour will be released in the coming weeks via the Team Springdale Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
