After operating as part of Kitchen Clayton at 7923 Forsyth Blvd. in Clayton for approximately the past year and a half, popular Tex-Mex restaurant Taco Circus has closed its doors once again.
When asked for the reason for the closure, owner Christian Ethridge simply said, “Sales, point-blank.”
The Taco Circus concept has bounced around the city over the years, first opening in the Bevo neighborhood of South City in 2015. It then moved to Southwest Garden near the Hill in 2019, but that location closed in 2021. Ethridge opened it again in late 2022 as part of Kitchen Clayton, which housed four separate concepts, but “it just wasn’t doing well,” Ethridge said. He added that the food concept at Tropical Liqueurs in the Grove is still using the Taco Circus name and he hasn’t been paid for it, but he’s reluctant to do anything about it because “you can’t squeeze water out of a rock.”
Fans of Taco Circus should fear not, however. “I haven’t given up on Taco Circus,” he said. “I feel like it has a future, but there are no set plans right now.” Ethridge plans to keep his head down for the next year or so while scouting for a new location, hopefully with a drive-thru. “We’ll see you next time,” he said.
Kitchen Clayton’s closure is also temporary as it remains a viable business should someone want to take it over.
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 12:45 p.m. Jan. 25 to clarify that Kitchen Clayton’s closure may be temporary.
This article appears in January 2024.