Vanderbilt-area staple San Antonio Taco Company on 21st Avenue is changing hands, with Edley's Restaurant Group set to take over, the longtime taco joint's owners announced Tuesday. The sellers said they expect the deal to close on Monday, Aug. 3, which will mark the end of more than three decades under their stewardship. Owners Hunter Atkins and Sandy Haury said they are "leaving SATCO in good hands" as the transfer moves forward.
According to a press release reported by WKRN, financial terms of the sale were not disclosed. The release named Edley’s Restaurant Group as the buyer and noted that a separate group of Middle Tennessee investors had also been in discussions for the property.
The San Antonio Taco Company, better known locally as SATCO, first opened near Vanderbilt in 1984, according to the restaurant's own history (San Antonio Taco Co.). Vanderbilt News notes that Hunter Atkins and Sandy Haury bought the operation in 1990 and have run it as a campus fixture ever since.
Edley's grows its footprint
Edley's Restaurant Group already operates multiple Edley's Bar-B-Que locations and has rolled out the Edley's Tacos concept across town this year. The Nashville Business Journal covered founder Will Newman's recent rebrand and openings, and Edley's own site lists locations across Middle Tennessee and beyond (Edley's).
Local investors were in play
The press release said a group of Middle Tennessee investors had hoped to purchase SATCO before Edley's emerged as the buyer, according to WKRN. Local investment firm Blackbird Capital's principals, including Chenault Sanders and Prentiss Nelson, are among the hospitality investors active in Nashville, according to Blackbird Capital's team page.
What to expect next
The press release did not outline any immediate operational changes and said the terms of the purchase will not be released to the public. As the Aug. 3 finalization date approaches, longtime customers and Vanderbilt students will be watching to see whether the new ownership preserves SATCO's deck, order-pad system and late-night hours that helped make it a neighborhood staple.
