HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas (KXXV) — Harker Heights is growing steadily, fueling new businesses like Taqueria Vallarta, which recently opened its doors. Owners Ivan Enriquez and Beatriz Deloya say community support has been overwhelming, though the process of getting through city permitting posed challenges.
- Harker Heights population grew 4% between 2020–2023.
- Growth is driving new businesses, including Taqueria Vallarta.
- Owner Ivan Enriquez: community support has been strong, especially at lunch rush.
- Manager Beatriz Deloya: City feels more welcoming than Austin, despite language barriers.
- City’s growth reflected in numerous new permits since 2020.
- Owners say the permitting process was lengthy and challenging.
- Despite hurdles, both feel persistence and hard work have paid off.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The City of Harker Heights is experiencing steady growth, and new businesses are taking notice. Between 2020 and 2023, the population grew 4%, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs like Ivan Enriquez, owner of the newly opened Taqueria Vallarta.
"We've had an immense amount of support from the community," Enriquez said.
The restaurant held its grand opening last week, adding authentic Mexican flavors to the growing city's dining scene.
"We've seen a lot of support from both the Mexican and American community and since we opened last week, we've been insanely busy — especially during lunch time," Enriquez said.
For manager Beatriz Deloya, the move from Austin's fast-paced environment to Harker Heights has been refreshing.
"The community here is more welcoming and heartwarming since they embrace you here. In Austin, it's a bit more cold, but I think that has to do with the rush of the city," Deloya said.
The welcoming atmosphere has been particularly meaningful for Deloya as she navigates language barriers.
"Being Mexican and English not being my first language, sometimes there's a bit of a barrier — but the people here don't judge you for that," Deloya said.
City leaders say the rapid growth is reflected in numerous new permits issued since 2020, including the one for Taqueria Vallarta. However, the permitting process presented challenges for the new business owners.
"It was a bit hard to open up a restaurant in this community because we have to go through a lengthy permit process," Enriquez said.
Despite the bureaucratic hurdles, the team believes their persistence has paid off.
"All those late nights working, doing paperwork, and running around — pays off," Deloya said.
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