Cheechako Tacos has been open for 73 consecutive days. Owner Gregory Cooper knows the exact number because he has worked every one of those days. The taco trailer, located at 890 Spruce Grove Road, has been serving made-from-scratch tacos, burritos, and quesadillas to Haines residents and tourists since June. Cooper runs the business alone.
Cooper is a recent arrival in Haines, moving here from Miami last June. “I love it here,” he said. “I needed a break from the city life.”
After moving to Haines, he worked in the Haines Bakery and the Bamboo Room. But Cooper, who learned how to make Mexican food growing up in Sacramento, Calif., wanted to open his own business.
“I’d be able to do everything I wanted, make everything from scratch in a clean kitchen,” he said.
Cooper arranged to have the trailer hauled to Haines from Idaho, and he opened Cheechako Tacos in June. Everything on the menu — down to the tortillas — is made in the trailer. On slow days, Cooper cooks everything to order. “I like fresh foods,” he said. “That’s how you know my food’s fresh,” he said, indicating his trailer’s cramped interior and small fridge. “I’ve got nowhere to put it.”
Cooper has big plans for his business. He plans to add soups and breakfast burritos to the menu, and hopes to bring in a wood stove to heat patrons in the winter. Cheechako Tacos offers tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, with a choice of chicken, pork, or steak. The trailer is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.