Popular food truck Taco Justice re-opens with touching story from new owner

The popular Taco Justice food truck on Cook Street has recently re-opened after closing in November of last year.

The truck, which officially opened its windows to the public again on May 21st, is being run by a new owner who shared a touching story behind its purchase.

Adam Barter, the man behind the re-launch of the iconic restaurant, said he was encouraged to purchase the truck from his friend battling cancer at the time.

“He contacted the previous owner and kind of got the ball rolling,” Barter told Victoria Buzz.

“He basically said, ‘you’ve been talking about doing something like this, I found you the perfect opportunity,’ and just really inspired me to do it.”

Unfortunately, the friend—Paul Daniels—lost his battle with cancer soon after Barter made the decision and was never able to see his friend get the truck back in action.

The truck may never have been purchased without the encouragement of Daniels.

“He was just a really, really amazing person, who saw the potential in people and really believed that most people don’t really dig into that potential,” Barter explained.

“He believed that so much more is possible and wanted the very best for everybody.”

Barter went on to say he’s got a picture of Daniels up in the truck, and that he tries to live up to those beliefs every day.

Though he is happy to be running the truck, Barter is quickly learning the many challenges that come with owning a business such as this.

With no formal training or experience in food service, he’s not just learning Taco Justice—he’s learning the entire industry.

“Even for somebody who knows what they’re doing, running a food truck is a challenge every single day,” said Barter.

“For somebody like me who’s also learning the industry, it’s even more of a challenge, which is, you know, exciting—and keeps me on my toes.”

Luckily, the truck already has an established, almost cult-like following in the city.

With iconic menu items like the ‘Green Bastard,’ which features deep fried avocado and the ‘Belly 2 Belly,’ with slow-cooked pork belly and shoulder, many residents were excited to see the truck return.

The ‘Green Bastard’ is a particularly hard recipe to nail, and the excited new owner described himself having a love-hate relationship with the dish.

Barter said overall business has been good so far, with many people running up to the truck with big smiles on their faces, keeping him going despite the challenges.

“It seems like we’re living up to the hype,” Barter laughed.

“I was worried that people were going to say it’s different, in a bad way, right? But no, it seems like we’re living up to the hype, which is awesome.”

After being asked if there’s anything new coming to the menu, Barter said he’s going to try to keep things as they are for now, but has plans to try some different things and be creative with the menu in the future.

“I’m doing my best to keep everything the same right now, the reason I bought the truck is because people love it,” he explained.

“I will try to introduce some specials and things like that. You gotta be creative, right?”

For the time being, Taco Justice’s new owner is continuing to get more and more comfortable with the truck and the industry, and is happy to keep serving the truck’s cult following—and any new fans he wants to be able to bring in—delicious Mexican fusion.

To support the truck, grab some delicious food and help a local achieve a dream, visit Taco Justice at the same place it’s always been—1580 Cook Street, serving tacos Thursday to Sunday, from noon to 8 p.m.