DOWAGIAC — People wanting authentic Mexican food will have to wait a while to satisfy their cravings as a favorite community spot is currently taking a short break.

Taqueria Del Rey is currently closed for a short hiatus, hoping to reopen soon in a new space. The family-owned business, run by Reynaldo Blanco with his wife, Maria, and daughter, Idalia, closed last week as it is preparing to move to a new location in February. Last Friday, the restaurant’s current location, 724 N. Front St., Dowagiac, hosted a final event where the community could enjoy time together and get their favorite Mexican foods one last time before the hiatus.

“The last time we took a two-week vacation, everyone was worried because they didn’t know what was happening,” Idalia said Friday, barely finding a spare moment to chat over the hustle and bustle of customers during the event. “We just wanted to let everyone know that we appreciate them and that we will be back.”

The as-of-yet to be disclosed new location that the family is hoping to move into will be much larger than where Taqueria Del Rey currently stands. The additional space will allow the business to welcome more customers, add new menu items and maybe even add a grocery store, Idalia said.

“This place is pretty small, so we need something bigger where we can have more people, a bigger kitchen and an office,” Idalia said. “We’ve always been busy, but now we have more clientele where we no longer have the space to do everything here. We are really excited about having a place of our own.”

Since the restaurant opened in May 2017, Taqueria Del Rey has gained a community following and much support, Idalia said. She added that she is thankful for the community and that her family would not be able to move to a larger location if it wasn’t for the community’s support.

“It’s almost overwhelming. I’m always thankful for the business we get, and I’m always telling our customers on Facebook how much we appreciate them,” she said. “It’s a very good feeling to know that all my dad’s hard work, all my mom’s hard work and my work has paid off. … We are so grateful to own a business in the community we live in.”

Idalia said that she would be updating Taqueria Del Rey’s website with the status of the new location, where it will be and when the restaurant will reopen.

“I hope people will like the new space and follow us there,” she said. “We are always so thankful for our loyal customers and hope we will see them again soon.”