Ed Hebson was born into the restaurant business, with a hamburger on dark rye bread in one hand and a fist full of fried onion rings in the other.
His grandparents, Jim and Kitz Masterson, were the original owners of Hackney's, a small, family-owned and operated restaurant chain in the Chicago area since 1939. His mom and her six siblings, including Hebson, are now the popular restaurant owners.
Hebson and his brother Jim, 48, along with their cousin, Jim Masterson, 45, have expanded the family's food offeringswith a kick of spicy salsa. In 2008, in the Printer's Row neighborhood, the first Flaco's Tacos opened. A second Flaco's opened in the Gold Coast neighborhood in 2011. And a third Flaco's opened in July in Wrigleyville, literally steps from Wrigley Field on Clark Street.
"I've long been a fan of Mexican food and Mexican culture," said Hebson, 46, who grew up in north suburban Glenview and attended Loyola Academy High School. He is bilingual, English and Spanish, and now lives in the Edgewater neighborhood with his partner of 12 years, Rufus Gonzales, 41. The two have adopted two children: Michael, 3; and Ana, 1.
Flaco's Tacos, an authentic Mexican taqueria, is a quick-service restaurant with fresh, home-made food. The menu features tacos, burritos, tortas, tamales, and more.
Flaco's also offers a full bar, with tasty margaritas, sangria, mojitos, and palomas, as well as 32 craft beers on tap. The Flaco's Wrigleyville is a "hybrid" between a full- and quick-service restaurant, Hebson said. Guests order at the counter, and then their food is brought to them. Servers fulfill any subsequent drink or food orders.
"In order to keep up the consistency and the quality, we kept the menu really simple. What makes us kind of special is, everything is home-made and fresh daily," Hebson said. "Our speciality is a fish taco, cooked to order, with shrimp and tilapia.
"What we're trying to do is, bring a traditional Mexican taqueria from, say, the Pilsen neighborhood, to other areas of Chicago."
So who's Flaco's?
It's actually no one; Hebson and his crew "just thought it'd be a great name for a restaurant."
The translation from Spanish is, "Slim's Tacos."
Hebson said Flaco's has a strong contingent of gay customers and employees, especially at the Wrigleyville location. Plus, he added, "in order to survive on Clark Street [in Lakeview], we have to reach out to the gay community."
But, Hebson is not planning to have a gay night at the Wrigleyville locationand that's by plan.
"I wouldn't want the [LGBT community] to think it's not welcome on other nights," he said.
Hebson said he wants to reach into the LGBT community, particularly through sponsorship opportunities, and he confirmed that there likely will be additional Flaco's branches in the Chicago area.