Taco Punk in NuLu closing

NuLu restaurant Taco Punk is closing in a couple of weeks, saying the downtown bridge and highway construction has hurt its lunch traffic and that the situation will only get worse.

"Our NuLu location has been a bit of a struggle from the beginning," according to a post on the restaurant's FaceBook page.

Construction, the post added, has "decisively cut off easy access for downtown workers to NuLu during the crucial lunch hours. ... It is clear that the situation in NuLu is only going to get worse before it gets better and any relief will come at mid 2016 — at best."

The restaurant's last day will be Oct. 3., crew leader Leech Sheldon said Monday afternoon from the restaurant, 736 E. Market Street.

"It has been really cool to see it run its course," Sheldon said, adding she has worked at the eatery since its debut in early 2012.

Taco Punk focuses on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients cooked from scratch in an indie, Tex-Mex format. The most popular dishes are pineapple pork, the guacamole, and the vegetarian mole, crew leader Joshua Araque said Monday.

The heaviest traffic has always come from downtown workers seeking "food that is fast, but not fast food," Sheldon said.

Owner and executive chef Gabe Sowder could not be reached for comment Monday. Workers said he announced the closure during a staff meeting Sunday at the restaurant.

Jere Downs can be reached at (502) 582-4669, Jere Downs on Facebook and @Jeredowns on Twitter.