After nearly a decade of serving up Mexican-inspired street food, Garage Taco Bar is under new management.

The downtown staple and student favorite located at the corner of Washington and Henry Streets first opened its doors in 2016. Since its debut, founders Daniel and Timothy Sharp worked to curate the restaurant into a recognizable, vintage-inspired space. Garage Taco’s new owners, Mark Yonaty and Owen Blye, are looking to “enhance the business,” according to reporting from the Press and Sun-Bulletin while maintaining its general atmosphere.

Among the proposed changes, Yonaty and Blye plan to add “throwback items” to the menu and revamp the outdoor seating area with games and other forms of entertainment. The restaurant’s food truck, acquired in the purchase, may be used to expand the restaurant’s outdoor service hours, possibly with a unique menu.

Named for the Metro Garage, which previously occupied the space, Daniel Sharp was inspired to open a restaurant serving street-food-inspired favorites in a space that reflected Binghamton’s industrial, blue-collar heritage, according to a feature in The Leadership Alliance of Binghamton. It uses fresh, local ingredients and offers a “creative and inclusive” menu with vegan and vegetarian options.

In the Leadership Alliance profile, Daniel Sharp described the impact he hoped Garage Taco and other new establishments would have on the community.

“It’s been such a great privilege to see the growth in the community that’s put so much blood, sweat, tears and grit into the area to make it what we want to be now,” he said. “It’s not going to be what it was years ago, but we have the opportunity to build a new home.”

A Binghamton native, Yonaty, one of the new owners, has had a hand in Binghamton’s development over the years. In 2023, the Hillel Academy of Broome County gave him and his wife, Inessa, an award for their contributions to the community. He assisted in the opening of local favorites like Social on State, Craft Bar and Kitchen, and Scoopy Dooby Ice Cream. Yonaty also owns Station 45 Chop House in the historic Lackawanna Train Station and Courtside Bar & Grill.

A new Instagram page was launched to accompany the ownership change. The account, @garagetacobar, features one post with a picture of the restaurant and an image of the original Metro Garage. The caption reads “garage then. garage now. garage forever” and is set to Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

Garage’s menu includes options like tacos, quesadillas, burritos, fried chicken and a variety of starters and Happy Hour deals every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. Daily deals include Margarita Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, White Claw Wednesdays with Half-off Chips and Nachos, and Nacho & Tecate Thursday.

“Binghamton’s really known for great restaurants,” Yonaty told the Leadership Alliance. “Whether it’s a simple taco or wings or a clam bar at a high-end restaurant. The diversity is great.”