SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The Yellowknife lunch crowd has a new option – tacos.

Debbie Cooke holds a taco. Since May 14, Cooke has been selling hard and soft shelled tacos as well as sweet and sour or curry chicken rice bowls from her stand on 50 Street. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo

Since May 14, Debbie Cooke has been selling hard and soft shelled tacos as well as sweet and sour or curry chicken rice bowls from her stand on 50 Street. The Friday special is lasagna with caesar salad and garlic bread.

She said she decided to open the stand "because there is nowhere in this town that you can buy a taco."

The stand is an old bus converted into a kitchen. Cooke said she originally bought the bus to turn it into a camper until her husband suggested using it as a taco stand.

She said the conversion was difficult as they had to remove the carpet and seats and then install, prime, paint and seal the new wood floor as well as put in a range, fridge, generator, sinks and water. This was an approximately four month-long project, she added.

"We've been doing really good, though," said Cooke. "The lasagna, I sold out on that. The tacos are definitely a big seller."

Lined up to buy two tacos last week was Chris Shott, who said he eats out at least once a week.

"I think it's great," he said. "Tacos are awesome. It's wonderful that we can just grab them and go downtown."

He added he'll try other items on the menu this week.

David Lantz, who runs his fish and chip stand on Franklin Avenue near 50 Street, was not happy about more competition.

"If there is something on every corner, there's not going to be anything left (to sell) for anybody," he said.

Since the street food vending policy was instated earlier this decade, Mayor Gord Van Tighem said he has seen fish and chips, hotdogs, hamburgers, smokies and sandwiches sold. He added he has yet to try the tacos.