The Barstool Fund - Uly's Taco Bar
Up next: Uly's Taco Bar (Gresham, OR)
Serving Mexican Food in Gresham and Eugene, Oregon since 2006, Uly’s offers a family friendly restaurant & full bar with the option to carry out or dine in. Their basement bar offers a full menu all night, happy hour, darts, pool, lottery and Super Nintendo.
Reader Email
I’m sure there are a ton of deserving businesses that are struggling and need a hand. I feel bad asking for help.
I started Uly’s when I was 21 in 2005 living in Eugene, I grew up going to late night taco carts around The Bay Area and I didn’t understand why there were no late night food options outside the bars. I was broke and I got lucky and found a cart that was donated to the local jc it was beat to shit and I fixed it up got the permits. I was working full time selling copiers door to door in Portland a few hours north then running the cart Thursday thru Saturday nights 8pm-4am. I added my first employee my second year who was basically my little brother whose family helped raise me then eventually one more a few years later. We got busier and busier every year and I shit you not between me and two guys we’d get out a 3 taco plate every 5 seconds when we’d have rushes. 2000 tacos in a few hours. I worked the carts for 7 years and baby stepped into my restaurant in Portland in 2012. The carts continued to help fund the restaurant which was a grind I cooked from 7am-2am for a few years to get it off the ground. We got a little busier every year and I feel like we made it over the hump in some ways. I still work cook but fortunately I’m closer to 60 hr weeks then the 100 hr weeks I use to pull. I’ve been very blessed. I have amazing regulars in the restaurant and the sports bar downstairs. I have employees that have been with me this whole ride that are family at this point. I’ve been working and paying to keep my staff paid even though it would probably be better for me financially to close fully until the world figures it’s shit out. We had scaffolding in front of the shop from December-March last year which wasn’t helpful, basically if you can help I’d appreciate it and I’d like pay you back if possible or give it to a charity thru you once I’m caught up. Thanks for the time and sorry for the novel.