By Sara FayContributing Writer

It’s a pretty simple story to tell.”

Harvey Becker leans forward in his chair at Tacos Del Lago, 822 Clark St., folding his arms in front of him on the table. The furniture is new, as are the mango-colored walls, and the space, once a Japanese restaurant called Sushi Arigato, is now an authentic Mexican taqueria.

Tacos del Lago opened for business on March 1 and has become a business success story. Becker, the co-owner, said the restaurant “opened with very little fanfare, very little knowledge” and now sees repeat customers multiple times per week.

This is Becker’s first endeavor in the restaurant world, but from the beginning, the plan and goals for Tacos del Lago were clearly defined.

“It’s fulfilling a niche,” Becker said. “It’s been a textbook example of finding the space in the market that you want to be, and it happened to be … exactly what we wanted to create as well as the type of place that really fit, and needed to be created.”

What Evanston needed, Becker said, was a “Rogers-Park-style taqueria”: a lunch option for Evanston employees, healthy and authentic Mexican food for residents, and a cheap, fresh snack for the college community.

“We wanted to bring that style of restaurant to Evanston, and we felt it needed more than white walls and a sombrero,” Becker said.

Tacos del Lago’s menu is simple and clear: tacos, burritos, tostadas and tortas a la carte or combined with side dishes for entrees.

One of the limitations on the menu was the size of the facility – the kitchen is part of the eating area – and its lack of storage space, Becker said. The restaurant also does not yet have a liquor license.

While the food is still authentic, Becker acknowledges that the Evanston crowd does not need the most authentic Mexican taqueria.

“It’s a question of who your clientele is,” Becker said. “Some of the things you’d see in a taqueria that caters to a Mexican or Latino crowd wouldn’t really go over here, so there’s no reason for us to have cabeza, tongue and tripe.”

Evanston resident Max Mest said that he has eaten at Tacos del Lago every Wednesday for the past three weeks and has enjoyed the food, atmosphere and service.

“I only get about an hour for my lunch break, so for me, it’s nice to come in, pay for my food, eat it and enjoy the company,” Mest said. “They know me in there now, and I’ve even got a table reserved for me when I come in. It’s like family.”

Competition is something Becker said he prefers not to dwell on. It was considered in his business plan, but he reached the conclusion that Tacos del Lago would not compete against any other Evanston restaurant.

“We’re just really in that indirect competition for the dining dollar,” Becker said. “We’re in competition with eating in as much as we’re in competition with other places (for) eating out.”

As each month’s business improves, Becker said he thinks Tacos del Lago will experience even more success in Evanston.

“We decided what we wanted to be and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of doing it,” he said. “That’s the story.”

Reach Sara Fay at [email protected]