Free guacamole and other toppings will return when El Jefe’s Taqueria reopens, months after a fire at the Bethlehem apartment complex where it is located.
The Mexican restaurant will reopen Aug. 30 at the Five 10 Flats at 506 E. Third St. on the city’s South Side, according to a news release provided by former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, now the business development manager for property owner Peron Development.
The restaurant will operate 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. all week, with breakfast to run 8-11 a.m. and lunch and dinner to go 11-3 a.m.
“The fire in May was a difficult moment for our Bethlehem team and community, but the incredible outpouring of support we’ve received has been inspiring,” El Jefe’s owner John Schall said in the release. “We are thrilled to finally welcome everyone back. This reopening is more than just turning the lights back on — it’s a celebration of resilience, community and the love our customers have shown us. We can’t wait to serve Bethlehem again — morning, noon, late night, and everything in between.”
Schall also thanked DoorDash for matching the restaurant’s $10,000 donation to a relief fund for the Five 10 Flats residents.
“We are committed to this community that has helped us be successful and we are thankful for partner in DoorDash who shares that commitment,” he said.
The El Jefe’s chain was founded in 2015 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before opening additional locations throughout the state as well as in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The restaurant’s menu includes tacos, burritos, bowls and chimichangas.
El Jefe’s is the first business to reopen at the apartments following the fire, Callahan said. Mr. Lee’s Noodles, which operated adjacent to the Mexican restaurant, will reopen in “a matter of weeks,” he said.
Callahan said the apartment complex is expected to become ready for residential occupancy in about five months.
He added that Paul Davis Restoration Experts, the contractor on the building, has finished remediation efforts — removing what was damaged — and will be starting new construction on the roof and interior.
“It’s going to be essentially a new building when we reopen it,” Callahan said.
More than 100 residents were displaced by the fire, which was started by a discarded cigarette butt on the building’s roof and fueled by high winds, officials said. There were no injuries, but the building sustained extensive water damage.
