Jesús and Nina Muñoz are the owners of Nina's Tacos, a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Sycamore. WNIJ Hola correspondent Lidia Marquez spoke with them about their fresh start at their new location.
On the night of Sept. 21, 2025, the owners say an electrical fire caused Nina's Tacos at 122 E. Page St. to burn down and close it's doors. The Muñoz family was left devastated, having lost overnight what they considered their second home.
"It's something that really caught us by surprise, something that nobody expects," said Jesús Muñoz. "It was truly difficult for us to come to terms with."
After months of recovering and rebuilding at their new location at 1969 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore, they had their grand opening on March 21, 2026. With their reopening, they saw the support of some familiar faces as well as some new ones in the community.
"The entire community has supported us in every step of the way. They've been with us through thick and thin and continue to support us," he said, "It's a blessing from God for us and our family."
Nina's Tacos offers a variety of Mexican surf and turf dishes, from tacos to Nayarit-style seafood.
The restaurant is decorated with murals representing several aspects of Mexican culture, including a touch to the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. They also have a mural with various forms of marine life, representing some of the seafood they'll soon be serving.
"We're excited that we have something that represents the state of Oaxaca," he said, "since we're from there."
After a period of downtime due to the fire, the Muñoz family say they are now enjoying happy moments in their new space, working hard and with excitement to bring new flavors to their customers.
- WNIJ's Carlos Loera contributed to this report.
