MARSHALL - Residents voicing their desire to see a taco spot in downtown Marshall are going to get their wish.
Brian and Kate Sonoskus, owners of Star Diner in downtown Marshall, which was ravaged in Tropical Storm Helene's destruction in September, will be opening Star Taco in the former Marshall's Main Street Cafe building, next to the Madison County Courthouse.
Brian Sonoskus brings roughly 40 years of experience to the new restaurant, which he hopes to open by the end of May.
Sonoskus, who opened Star Diner in 2016, said he had aimed to open a taco spot in Marshall, but in the past had little free time, as Star Diner demanded so much of his attention.
Star Taco will be a "new space and new vibe" but the "same good food" as Star Diner, the owner said.
The North Main Street location will allow for a more "festive and party atmosphere," rather than the fine dining approach employed at Star Diner.
Star Taco will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner five days a week, to start. Sonoskus said he plans to offer late-night events Fridays and Saturdays, too.
"We'll bring a little bar out here, and have a little griddle," Sonoskus said. "We'll offer some taco and beer specials and find out if we can get some kind of music going on there. We've got the stage, and we've got electricity to it."
Star Taco is located at 18 N. Main St. in downtown Marshall, and will be open Tuesday through Saturday.
Sonoskus said the location affords the owners a great place to serve as a community hub.
"This is a central place of downtown. It needs to be a hub of activity," Sonoskus said.
On March 28, the patio hosted the Madison Alliance for Rebuilding Communities' six-month Helene commemoration event.
But for Sonoskus, while location and atmosphere are important, the food itself is the central component.
"Food's got to be center stage," Sonoskus said. "You can get beer or a glass of wine anywhere. We're going to do tacos, but it's going to be chef-driven still. We'll have authentic tacos, but we'll have some fun, party tacos from whatever whim comes about."
Cooking for 40 years professionally, Sonoskus has amassed a breadth of experience, including Cajun style. He started in Toms River, New Jersey, frying shrimp and boiling lobsters before attending culinary school at Johnson and Wales University. He plans to offer a number of seafood options as well as plans to offer traditional and creative tacos, including chicken tinga and lamb barbacoa.
Eventually, Sonoskus plans to offer heartier entrees to provide for more standard dinner options. There will also be appetizers, including chips and salsa, guacamole and queso.
"It's going to be counter-service type of restaurant, and chef-driven food, like it's always been," Sonoskus said. "There's great value out here to make it into something special, like the party environment, is what we want to bring to the table here, and really have it be kind of the hub again of entertainment and people getting together and gathering."
The owners are leasing the building from Pete Whitlock, with whom he is working to offer food trucks in the Pisgah Legal parking lot next door to the building.
The team is currently performing many repairs on the building, which took extensive damage in Helene's floods. Still, one silver lining is that the 18 N. Main St. building was not damaged nearly as badly as the Star Diner building.
"We ripped out all the concrete floor and put new plumbing in," Sonoskus said of the Star Taco building. "We've got all new electrical and plumbing going in. We've got all new cooking equipment in the kitchen. Fortunately, there wasn't any structural damage."
On March 29, the construction team was pouring new composite flooring in the kitchen.
Sonoskus chipped in and cooked meals for one of Madison Relief Alliance's community potluck meals, too. Brian Sonoskus said seeing the response from the Marshall community bonded him and his family to Marshall even more.
"It was really heartwarming to see all that and understand about how important this place is to a lot of people," Sonoskus said. "When something big like that happens and you get that outpouring, it was really awesome."
Now, Sonoskus and his wife, Kate, who will be named the Downtown Marshall Association's director in April's Marshall Town Board meeting, turn their eyes to the reopening.
"It's exciting. I know that the community is behind us," Sonoskus said. "We're looking to do something that's for everyone."
Johnny Casey is the Madison County communities reporter for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or [email protected].