What This Story Is About
SATCO’s incoming ownership group is promising customers that the 42-year-old restaurant will retain the qualities — including its queso — that made it a Nashville favorite.
Why It Matters
The sale marks a leadership change for a longtime local restaurant near Vanderbilt, but the new owners say they plan to protect its identity rather than turn it into something new.
What Happens Next
The sale was supposed to close on Monday, August 3.
Catch Up
Beloved 42-year-old Tex-Mex restaurant in Nashville being purchased. Here’s what we know
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The incoming owners of San Antonio Taco Company are assuring loyal customers that the longtime Nashville restaurant will keep its name, identity and fan-favorite menu items.
In a social-media video, Edley’s Restaurant Group founder Will Newman said SATCO will remain SATCO after the sale closes.
“We want to clearly state to all those who love this institution dearly that SATCO will remain SATCO,” Newman said. He specifically addressed customer concerns about changes to the menu, adding: “The queso is staying the same.”
Newman said the ownership group plans to spend its first 90 days listening to customers and employees before making decisions. He said the goal is to preserve what made the restaurant a Nashville and Vanderbilt tradition while strengthening it for the future.
A local investor group that includes Newman, Prentiss Nelson and Chenault Sanders of Blackbird Capital announced plans last month to purchase SATCO. The sale was expected to close Aug. 3; the deal’s terms were not disclosed.
SATCO was founded in 1984 by Vanderbilt graduates from San Antonio, Texas. Hunter Atkins and Sandy Haury have owned the restaurant since 1990 and began seeking a buyer after longtime manager Robert Wilder announced plans to retire.
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