Texarkana's newest taco eatery opens

Fast-food taco establishments aren't exactly uncommon in Texarkana, so what does a new taco establishment have to do to be different in the Tex-Mex crowd?

Tacos 4 Life, that just opened today, tries to make a difference as well as serve food that is different.

"Eight years ago, I saw the statistics of children who go hungry and it stunned me. My wife and I tried to figure out what we could do to help. We prayed and God laid it on our heart to open a restaurant to help feed hungry children," said Austin Samuelson, co-founder of Tacos 4 Life. "All purchases at Tacos 4 Life purchase food for hungry children."

Austin, 33, of Conway, Ark., has been in the restaurant business for a while. His first effort in the restaurant business was in pizza, but a friend suggested tacos might be an even more popular choice.

"Buy a meal from us and you feed kids," Samuelson said. "And folks buy lots of tacos."

As of this weekend, Tacos 4 Life, established four and a half years ago, will be up to 15 restaurants, including the Texarkana place.

"Texarkana is a great town, a growing, vibrant community," said Samuelson. "Toney and Sandy Livingstone, the local Tacos 4 Life franchisees, have a heart for feeding children. They are also crazy hard workers and are good at running a business, and you need all that for running a Tacos 4 Life. We feel really good about their place and they have a great team. There is a unique excitement among their crew and we are all ready to go here in Texarkana."

Tacos 4 Life makes all of its food from scratch right on the premises.

"We put a lot of effort into it. When you put your order in, a small army in the kitchen has already been preparing things for the day and they set about cooking for you and serving you," he said. "We look at a tortilla as a blank canvas upon which to build something unique."

Look at the Tacos 4 Life menu and you see unusual looking taco names, like Fried Chicken Taco, or Korean Barbecue Steak Taco.

"It is what we do here at Tacos 4 Life," Samuelson said. "Craveable tacos, savory sauces, unique flavors all come scratch made out of a kitchen where everything is made fresh."

"And keep in mind, everything you buy here to feed yourself and your family will also go to feed a hungry child," he said.

Tacos 4 Life is at 3005 Mall Drive, Texarkana, Texas. Visit them on Facebook or call 903-794-8226.

Upcoming Events