Thriving After Five: Hoboken Businesses Celebrate 5 Years of Success

Tacos straight from the Truck…and Newark Street

Jason Scott had spent a lot of his time in a sales role for a fly fishing company in Southern California, and fell in love with the delicious taquerias that he just couldn’t find anywhere else. When he moved to Hoboken, the best Mexican food he could find was at a few small bodegas—but nothing could take him back to the taste he loved. He saw an opportunity to bring that authentic taste to town, and The Taco Truck was born. The initial concept of the truck was to introduce the community to his tasty tacos without the original expense of building out a brick and mortar store.

Then the tacos flew off the truck. An immediate hit in town and surrounding areas, Scott knew he was on to something—finally opening his first brick and mortar store at 62 Newark Street.

The key to The Taco Truck’s success has been to never cut corners on the quality of the food, while also being exceptionally environmentally conscience. The actual space was designed using reclaimed wood and a heavy concentration on recycling. Scott also points out the importance of being involved in your community.

As The Taco Truck embraced Hoboken, many residents immediately embraced the store as well. In fact, some of them soon became addicted. When Foursquare came out, hMAG’s Kevin Cale was in a constant battle with other Taco Truck fanatics to maintain his title of Mayor of The Taco Truck. Now, whenever clients come to Hoboken, The Taco Truck is always the place to bring them for an original Hoboken gem.

Originality is Scott’s other secret to success in Hoboken. He suggests that the downfall of many new businesses in Hoboken is that they are simply entering a saturated market. With a pizza place and nail salon on every corner, it’s simply dividing the available client base. When one falafel, froyo or crepe place opens, three others opened right behind it—and it’s hard for them to differentiate themselves from their competition. But there’s only one Taco Truck.

The success of Hoboken has led Jason to continue his dream by opening new locations. He uses the trucks to test out new locations before opening the brick and mortar. Currently he has two stores in the Boston area, with other NJ locations in Morristown and the recently opened Princeton location.
thetacotruck.com

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The Taco Truck