Drive-thru at Leno’s Rico Taco a game-changer for the 31-year-old Colton business

In 2019, Colton’s beloved Leno’s Rico Taco began a construction project that was a saving grace for the business at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

All was well, and business was booming, as usual, so the business owner Leno Moreno decided it was time to make an addition to the business in the form of a drive-through. 

“We opened our drive-through one week before the COVID-19 shut-down, and quarantining began in March 2020. I remember our drive-through lines were so long, and we were short-staffed, but I was grateful for the business,” said Moreno. 

Since opening in February of 1991, the small business has not faced as much difficulty as it has in their past two years, especially when hiring and retaining employees. 

“Like many other businesses, big or small, it’s tough to recruit and even harder to retain employees. Two years later, we’re still short-staffed. So literally anyone in Colton willing to learn and preferably bilingual has a job here at Leno’s Rico Taco,” continued Moreno. 

He said bilingualism is preferred due to the extensive number of Spanish-speaking customers the restaurant serves daily. 

“We probably serve, on average, about 250 people per day. Two of our most popular items are the carne asada fries and our signature chile Verde burrito, which is made fresh here on-site with real ingredients,” Moreno said. 

When Colton High School students get out of school, Moreno says nine out of 10 orders are for carne asada fries, but that most of its 8 AM to 8 PM business hour orders are for its chile verde burrito.

“Our chile Verde burrito includes homemade chile Verde sauce, pork with green chili, rice, beans, and cheese if requested. But aside from our food, I want to thank Colton for supporting us the past few years and for still supporting us today. I hope to see Leno’s Rico Taco fully recover from the hardships of the COVID-19 Pandemic very soon,” concluded Moreno. 

Since the Pandemic began, the restaurant has been closed on Sundays to give its minimal staff a day off. 

Leno’s Rico Taco is open Monday-Saturday, from 8 AM to 8 PM.

For more information, call 825-9304.