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Caption M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 • R E S T A U R A N T D E V E L O P M E N T + D E S I G N • 4 9 The original name for the new opera- tion, Taco Republic, was scuttled in favor of Taco Guild. "We wanted to be that place of expertise when it comes to tacos, tequila and mescal," Micheletti says. "In the Middle Ages, guilds were places of tradesmen's expertise and it felt like a nice ft with the church setting." Designer Janet Henrich, who had worked with Micheletti on Z'Tejas restaurants, helped conceptualize the Taco Guild design. As in the original plan, repurposing existing materials and sourcing an eclectic mix of inexpensive, mostly used FF&E; items were primary goals. The fact that the church property itself was being repurposed added to its slightly quirky appeal, she says, but also provided a unique backdrop against which the concept could emerge. Respectfully Repurposed The building was most recently in its second incarnation as a Method- ist church. Originally constructed in 1893, it had been destroyed by fre in the late 1930s or early 40s, knocked down and rebuilt in 1946. The prop- erty had been vacated and deconse- crated in 2012. During its conversion into the restaurant, the Taco Guild team incor- porated artifacts and documents found in the church as decorative items, and preserved elements such as the solid wooden entry door, stained glass windows and wood beam ceilings. The concrete foors were simply cleaned and resealed and walls were washed and touched up with fresh paint as needed. Micheletti admits that both he and Henrich shared some initial misgivings about the perceived appropriateness of building a shrine to tacos and tequila in the shadow of stained glass windows Overhead murals warm the space, while church pews were upholstered and converted into banquettes.