Mexican restaurant sets out on comeback with new name after late son

A popular Grand Rapids restaurant is coming back under a new name that means something to its owners. La Huasteca has changed its name to Iker's Tacos.

The owner wanted to name it after his late son because of how much the restaurant meant to him.

"It's like a second chance," Iker's Tacos owner, Salvador Oliveros, said. "We cannot wait for this new project to start. In our hearts, it was the right decision."

The authentic Mexican restaurant had to leave its Creston Neighborhood location. This past summer, Oliveros and the rest of the family sold some of their staples at the Creston Farmers Market.

FOX 17

"I was telling my wife, I'm like, 'We miss, you know, working every day, talking to our customers, laughing, joking.' So we miss all of that."

This celebration is bittersweet. A big piece that's missing for Oliveros and his family is their son Iker.

"Our son passed away last year on September 11. So now we thought, 'Well, new location and everything.' That's a nice way to always remember our son," Oliveros added.

Iker was always at the old location. He even had his own booth.

"I feel like he's helping from Heaven to make this come true," Oliveros said.

FOX 17

Their new spot is just a few blocks from their old one on Coit.

"We're just gonna put a little love in this place so he can be proud, really proud of us," Oliveros said.

To further honor Iker, Oliveros is planning something special for every Monday.

"Once we open and start working, to have it on Mondays, kids will eat free," he added.

FOX 17

The restaurant owner explains that they're close to signing their lease for the new spot. He has set up a GoFundMe to help with the moving expenses.

"Since we closed, we used all of our savings, all of our credit cards. So basically, we used all of our money. Now that we have a chance to sign a lease, we don't have money," he added.

The owner explained that if everything goes according to plan, he hopes to start serving food at Iker's Tacos in the next month or two.

Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube