The couple behind a popular Puerto Rican food truck will soon have a brick-and-mortar spot on Tucson's north side.
Husband-and-wife team Carlos and Jackeline Garcia are putting the finishing touches on their concept, Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy, which they hope to open in the old ATL Wings spot at 4230 N. Oracle Road, by early September.
Named for the sacred plazas where Puerto Rico's earliest residents gathered for celebrations and rituals, Batey will offer a long list of staples; plates like arroz con gandules, pernil (roasted pork shoulder) and mofongo.
"Every Puerto Rican will look for these dishes," Garcia said.
The restaurant will also have meals that go above and beyond your standard fare. like Chuleta Can Can, a dish consisting of "the whole back of the pig," Garcia said; a mega-porkchop that includes the loin, ribs and belly.
Another specialty: Seafood paella with red snapper.
Garcia said many of the menu items will be recipes he learned from his mother and grandmother growing up in Puerto Rico
Garcia was born and raised in Guaynabo, a city on the north end of the island, about 20 minutes outside of the capital, San Juan.
"We would have get-togethers at Christmas," Garcia said. "Both my dad and my mom had big families. I always helped my grandmother in the kitchen during these events."
The rest of Garcia's culinary experience comes from his years working at the executive level in resort kitchens, both domestic and abroad.
That includes time spent at the J.W. Marriott Star Pass Resort and the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain here in Tucson.
His wife, Jackeline, is a food an beverage professional with more than 10 years of experience in hotels and resorts.
The Garcias first started offering Puerto Rican cuisine on their own during the pandemic. A new job at a high-end resort in the Phoenix area was on hold as construction stalled out. Garcia was looking for something new and different.
So they launched the food truck, Boriken, Modern Puerto Rican Cuisine, what Garcia described as "a restaurant on wheels."
Menu items included Boricua nachos, with plantain chips and roasted pork, and a Jefe Bowl, also with roasted pork, pigeon peas and rice.
He sold at different spots around Phoenix, and would make a monthly pilgrimage to Tucson, eventually earning a spot at Tucson Meet Yourself, where he has been a vendor for several years.
"(Tucson Meet Yourself) was a good platform for us," he said. "It put us on the right path."
The Garcias eventually moved back to Tucson.
"The people in Tucson are more engaged," he said. "We have more clientele here than we did in Phoenix."
When another local food truck owner told the Garcias about the Oracle property, they were all in.
"I saw the space, everything was built," he said. "It was a small investment. We decided to take a chance."
In addition to Puerto Rican cuisine, the Garcias will also offer cocktails utilizing Puerto Rican drinks, such as Añejo rum and Chocolate Cortés.
Garcia hopes to use the food truck as an avenue for street food, while the restaurant will be "more refined."
"I don't expect people to come here wearing ties," he said. "But there will be a nice ambiance, tropical music. I always play salsa."
Garcia plans for Batey to be open for lunch and dinner. You can follow the restaurant's progress by clicking here.
