Otto's Tacos, opening this fall on Second Avenue

Work continues at 141 Second Ave. near East Ninth Street where Otto's Tacos will be opening soon... this week, the workers removed the signage of the previous occupant — the short-lived Good Guys.

We asked proprietor Otto Cedeno for more details on his restaurant.

On the concept:

"This project has been a year-plus in the making and I'm humbled beyond belief to have a restaurant amongst all the greats in the East Village. I'm originally from Orange County, Calif., and the genesis of this concept was to put the food I grew up with in a city that's now turned into home for me," he said. "I've been an on/off East Village resident for the last 10 years, and couldn't think of a better area to open my first restaurant."

On the menu:

"We have a very simple and focused menu that allows us to spend time and flavor on each item ... we're keeping everything from the brand to the buildout to the menu simple. We want our customers to feel comfortable and right at home ... [and have] a fantastic dining experience in a grab-and-go atmosphere."

On his background:

"This is my first restaurant, actually. Prior to this I was the director of production and operations at Livestream.com. My background is film production and tech. This was a lifelong dream of mine to do and thought, 'I'm alive now, who knows if I will be later, let's just go for it.'
We are beyond excited to open."

Cedeno is planning for a mid-September opening. CB3 approved a beer license for Otto's last month.