Zandra’s Taqueria in Manassas, known for its homemade tacos, will reopen its flagship location on Center Street in May.
Miguel Pires, the owner, decided to close and gut the restaurant in October for a top-down renovation. A new kitchen, dining room, and a new rooftop bar will be some of the new amenities when Zandra’s reopens.
“We decided to go crazy,” said Pires. “We did the renovation so that we could come out of Covid thriving and not just holding on to dear life.”
When Gov. Ralph Northam last year closed schools and announced a statewide lockdown of businesses, Pires and his employees were holding on for dear life, trying to make ends meet.
The restaurant converted to carryout orders only, laid off half of its workforce, and worked out new deals with its banks, accountants, and vendors. Zandra’s cut costs to the bone, a survival tactic Pires said he learned in the early days of his restaurant career in 2007.
“We kind of pivoted really quickly,” he said.
When the lockdown was eased in June, some customers came back, and business picked up during the summer. It dropped over the winter and is now returning with the onset of spring.
A year later, Pires says the strong carryout business he built will remain Zandra’s staple. So will outdoor seating on his new rooftop bar will be the second scheduled to open in the city, behind the new restaurant, Battle Street Bistro, to open this spring on nearby Battle Street.
“I used to think Americans would only eat outside when the weather was nice,” said Pires.
After it forced many restaurants to offer outdoor seating and portable heaters during the cold months, the coronavirus changed his thinking. “I think we’re going to have outside seating 11 months out of the year,” added Pires.
Just before the pandemic hit, Pires had a newly opened Zandra’s location in Haymarket. The month leading up to the lockdown was his best month in business, Pires said due to Manassas, Haymarket’s success, and at the chain’s third location in Fairfax City.
Today, the Haymarket location remains open, while the Fairfax location remains shuttered due to a lack of business.
Zandra’s Taqueria is located at 9114 Center Street in Manassas.
