A year after winning Taco Madness, what's next for Fayetteville's favorite taco spot?

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Hi foodies, 

Fayetteville Hot Dog Madness is nearly here — we’ll release the Spicy 16 in next week’s newsletter. 

In the meantime, I caught up with Fayetteville’s taco king, Josef Lemus.  

The Mexican-born chef owns Taco Arepa, the food truck that won last year’s Fayetteville Taco Madness. He was all smiles at his spot outside the Yadkin Road gate to Fort Liberty yesterday, proudly sporting a black chef’s coat with Colombian and Mexican flags and the logo of his business.

Since last year, he’s snagged a regular spot at Dirtbag Ales, opened a second Taco Arepa food truck featuring our story about his win, and nearly doubled his staff — but he’s not stopping there. 

Previously:Taco Arepa food truck named best taco spot in the Fayetteville area

Lemus, who came up from dishwasher to chef-owner over more than two decades in the restaurant business, has big plans for the next few months. 

In the spring, he plans to open a third truck with an emphasis on Spanish desserts. He said he’s also in talks to take over Osan Barbershop’s space on Yadkin Road to open a small restaurant. 

“I feel blessed,” he said. “I want to thank everyone; my business cannot grow without them.” 

Happy eating, 

Taylor 

Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and culture for The Fayetteville Observer. She can be reached at tshook@gannett.com or on Facebook.