Dos Locos Tacos diner says it’s adios due to the economy

Hamtramck’s restaurant scene continues to shrink with the recent closing of Dos Locos Tacos on Jos. Campau.

By Charles Sercombe
It’s no surprise that restaurants come and go here in Hamtramck.
In general, restaurants face tough challenges to stay afloat, mostly due to constant rising costs and labor issues.
Several months ago, there was a wave of closings that included Balkan House, California Burgerz, and Hello Shawarma.
You can now add (or rather, delete) Hamtramck’s only taco joint, Dos Locos Tacos on Jos. Campau and Caniff, located in the former New Martha Washington Bakery.
The bakery, long an icon in Hamtramck, itself closed almost a decade ago after many years of being in business.
The closing of Dos Locos Tacos, which then opened eight years ago in that spot, caught the attention of several folks on Hamtramck social media.
Former State Rep. Abraham Aiyash was an occasional customer, and he wished owner Mike Petrack the best.
“Glad you’re leaving on your own terms. Thanks for keeping us fed all these years!” Aiyash said.
So what’s the reason for this closing?
Petrack said, on social media, it was a combination of things but, mostly, it came down to costs.
“Unfortunately, the last few years have seen the cost of food, insurance, utilities and all of the other unnoticed necessities, climb faster than I could justify hiking prices to keep up,” Petrack said.

“We set out to serve our community, and provide quality food that was accessible to the people who lived there. Unfortunately, it’s not economically possible to do that anymore.”

It also often comes down to the amount of hours restaurant owners – especially with smaller restaurants – have to work to stay afloat.
“It’s just not worth it for me anymore,” Petrack said. “I have other opportunities that are better money for way less work. I wanna hang out with my kid and not work 60 hours a week.”
A year ago, though, Petrack also blamed the politics of elected officials and city hall.
He said Hamtramck took a hit to its businesses, and turned off investors, due to the city’s anti-gay messaging, from when it banned the display of pride flags on public property.

“The tide started turning when the flag bull—- happened,” he said.

Petrack continued: “They might as well have hung a sign on the freeway that said ‘Disposable income not welcome.’

“That, coupled with the sharp increase in rents, has made Hamtramck less attractive to the type of people who go out to eat. Why live in a noisy, homophobic place with beat-up rental stock when you can live in Corktown for the same price?”

The closing of Dos Locos Tacos also comes at a time when the musical venue Sanctuary, located just around the corner from the restaurant on Caniff, is about to shut down and relocate to Detroit – taking its liquor license to boot.
According to a source, that imminent closing also played a part in the restaurant’s demise, since a number of the bar’s customers would often grab a taco after shows.
On top of this, the Detroit City Football Club will close out its final season at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck this year – meaning that a number of local bars and restaurants that have previously enjoyed business from those soccer fans will dry up.
Posted March 20, 2026