It’s been almost a year since Tristan’s CalMex and Bar first opened its doors to Guangzhou’s taco-deprived public and it is with a heavy heart we announce that tacos at Shop 101, 25 Liyun Yi Jie will soon be gone for good. Luckily, according to proprietor and burrito bro Tristan Sapp, the restaurant will be relocating to somewhere nearby in "the very near future."
A haven for burrito lovers, GG Allen fans and passionate Dungeons & Dragons players, Tristan’s made a name for itself quickly and has maintained a cult-like following since its inception, making its unexpected shuttering all the more gut-wrenching.
The restaurant’s sudden closure is the result of licensing issues and noise complaints – issues that came to a head last Thursday when police stopped by to inform Sapp he had to cease operations.
“We had a permit through the village, which is different from a city permit, the latter of which you need signatures from the landlord to get,” said Sapp. Unfortunately, the woman holding the deed to Shop 101, 25 Liyun Yi Jie was uncooperative in helping Tristan’s CalMex and Bar obtain that oh-so-coveted city permit.
“Our landlord told us before signing that she would do this, but then she refused to.”
When officers arrived last Thursday to read the riot-act, they piled all of the tables and chairs in one corner and draped paper banners across them, as well as the cash register, stereo and projector, to ensure they could not be used. Authorities took photos and told restaurant staff they would be fined if the paper was removed.
“One guy went into the kitchen to put one across my beer fridge, but I put my hand across it and asked him how the fuck I was supposed to get to my beer if he did that,” said Sapp. “I guess he was sympathetic to me because they ended up leaving the kitchen alone.”
While Tristan’s unforeseen shutdown is undoubtedly depressing, there is some positive news we are happy to share: Mr. Sapp and his team can still do deliveries and will continue to do so until they vacate the premises on September 25. After this date Tristan is planning to use a private kitchen to continue deliveries until moving to a new location.
"We will definitely open up a new shop, it isn’t even a question,” said Sapp when asked about the restaurant's future. “I don't want anyone to think that we are throwing in the towel.”
From everyone at That’s PRD, we look forward to crushing craft brews and shoveling tacos down our throats at Tristan’s CalMex and Bar 2.0.
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