By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

Eight months ago, Stacy Tanner took the leap from sales to salsa.

Tanner opened the Mexican fast-casual joint Olé Olé just across the parking lot from her husband Tommy’s bar, Woody’s Jerkwater Pub. Now, with a revamped menu and chef Lenny Aviles onboard, Olé Olé is finally hitting its stride.

The Tanners’ annual vacation to Mexico — Stacy’s favorite destination is Cabo San Lucas — “instigated this opportunity,” she said. Tanner didn’t want to churn out Americanized imitations of burritos; she wanted to share the fresh ingredients she and her family enjoy on their stays in Los Cabos.

“The No. 1 thing I wanted to bring here was not just the flavors, but we wanted whole, fresh, clean food,” Tanner said.

Under Aviles’ direction, Olé Olé makes everything on-site except the tortillas. Aviles’ parents, who hailed from Mexico City, owned the former Carmelita’s taco shop on Court Street in Syracuse.

“He has nailed it with the flavors of Mexico that we wanted to bring to Central New York,” Tanner said.

Since opening in August 2015, Tanner has redirected Olé Olé’s focus on traditional Mexican recipes and expanded the catering side of the business. She said the number of regular customers and catering orders have tripled since January.

“It’s all been word of mouth and social media,” she said. “The community’s starting to love the food because they’re putting the word out there for me.”

Among the changes to Olé Olé’s menu are an expanded selection of appetizers and sides, more choices for vegetarians and additional desserts, such as flan.

This summer, Olé Olé will receive its wine and beer license and introduce outdoor patio seating.

“I think it’ll make a big difference,” Tanner said.

In the meantime, Olé Olé devotees can bring their food to Woody’s for drinks and live entertainment. Tanner said she sometimes sets up a taco cart at her husband’s pub.

“There’s no competition — we actually complement each other,” she said.

As Olé Olé gains its footing, Tanner has incorporated local causes and events into her business. Olé Olé’s “McMahon Mondays” special gives 8 percent of the restaurant’s sales to the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center. McMahon/Ryan wristbands are also for sale at Olé Olé. While April was Child Abuse Prevention Month, Tanner said McMahon Mondays will remain year-round, and she is hoping to plan a fundraising event for the organization over the summer.

“I wanted to be able to give back to the community,” Tanner said. “We’ve been trying to help with that this month, creating more awareness. I had so many of my friends saying, ‘I didn’t even know about McMahon/Ryan.’”

Elsewhere in the community, Olé Olé will be a vendor at the Salt City Collect-A-Con, which takes place May 16 at the Regional Market’s F-Shed. Discounted tickets are available at Olé Olé.

“This will be my first festival,” Tanner said.

Tanner said she is hoping to cater graduation parties and corporate events this summer; she’s already gotten several calls about Cinco de Mayo parties.

“We don’t want to be ‘good,’” Tanner said, “we want to be ‘the place.’”

Olé Olé is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is located in the Mattydale Shopping Plaza at 2803 Brewerton Road. To learn more, visit oleolesyracuse.com or facebook.com/oleolemexicanrestaurant.