MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Popular food truck TacosNGanas looks to open another location while still on the hot seat for possible wage and labor violations. The taco truck making headlines this past fall after the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division launched an investigation into the business.
Hispanic leaders Mauricio Calvo and Jose Salazar speak out on the allegations and morale when it comes to another location opening up.
“Normally I would be very excited about a new Latinx business or a business expanding its network or its footprint,” Calvo said. “However, given the allegations, it is concerning.”
Greg Diaz, owner of multiple TacosNGanas locations across the midsouth, filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Board of Adjustment that the location will have an area providing meals to students in after-school programs, as well as a single taco truck.
This all while there’s still an open investigation into his business. The Department of Labor confirmed to ABC24 on June 9 that they’re still investigating but adding no details on the labor standards they could be violating.
“We have not seen an explanation or anything from the pastor neither a resolution on this,” Calvo said. “I know this is a private business, however, it is not a private matter because it is impacting a lot of people in the community potentially.”
Many say Memphis’s Latinx community is tight knit.
“I’ve tried helping them out, but you know fear is really big in the immigrant community when you speak about status so a lot of them [would] rather keep working than speak out,” Salazar said.
Salazar said he can’t confirm the allegations, but having multiple former employees contact him has made him cautious. He refrains from eating at the truck altogether but ensures he stays close to the people who may need him most.
“A lot of people are still working for him,” Salazar said. “This is not gonna stop because they need a job and if it’s true, he’s taking advantage of these people because they’re not aware of their rights. I have people that came from Mexico that work for him but like I said, they’re afraid to speak out.”
“To this day, I have lawyers that are willing to take the case for free and represent the community but they’re really afraid to even go to a lawyer because of their status,” Salazar said. “The people that I’ve met with just work at the taco trucks.”
As the investigation remains open, so does the food truck. In the meantime, for those who are undocumented and dealing with a wage or labor issue through an employer, Attorney Terrell Tooten works with Jose Salazar and recommends reaching out to an immigration attorney for the most useful information.
ABC24 reached out to the owners of TacosNGanas several times and have not received a comment on the allegations.