ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis taco shop is moving in the right direction after facing a potential closure.
Tacos La Jefa in Dutchtown shared their financial struggles on social media and St. Louis showed up.
Co-owner Andrea Amezcua said the business began with her mom, Heriberta Amezcua.
"It was her dream, it was always to provide the community real Mexican food, the good one," she shared.
Tacos La Jefa, meaning boss girl tacos, is a nod to the matriarch.
"We always call my mom 'La Jefa' because she's the boss in the house," Amezcua noted.
Their mom started the business in their backyard in 2020 and they've slowly made their way to Dutchtown inside Urban Eats.
Caya Aufiero, with the Neighborhood Innovation Center, shared, "We created this restaurant incubator to meet the needs of startup restaurants so they have a place to test their product and process."
Despite success, Tacos La Jefa saw recent a setback.
"We try to do it. Baby steps, but we need help, we need help," Amezcua admitted.
Recent social media posts said they placed their trust in someone to manage their operations, only to be left with unpaid taxes, bills and expenses.
It faced a potential closure and the community immediately stepped in, swarming the shop.
Their authentic birria estilo jalisco tacos have attracted many across the bi-state.
One customer, Robby Sahi, from O'Fallon, Illinois drove to St. Louis to get one of his favorite dishes. This is after seeing the social media post.
"I feel like they make really good food and we want to make sure we're supporting local restaurants," he added.
Support that has uplifted co-owner and daughter Andrea Amezcua.
Their mom passed away in 2021 and the family's mission is to continue that dream.
They're grateful to St. Louis for keeping it going.
A photo of their mom faces customers and hangs above their business.
Amezcua said, "That picture was taken in March and she passed away in April. It's been hard. That picture means a lot. That was the last picture we took on the last trip. I put it over there and when I think something good or bad, I look at my mom and say, 'Please help me a little bit. I need your help.'"
Help she's already feeling, as mom continues to watch over them.
"Thank you so much for your support. Thank you so much for thinking about us. We just make food with love with a passion," Amezcua said.
There's a GoFundMe that's about to reach its $5,200 goal. To donate, click here.
With this, they're making progress in paying off some outstanding debts.
They're even listening to feedback from multiple customers. With the amount of suggestions, they're working to expand hours as well.
Tacos La Jefa will remain open.