What started as a side project inspired by San Diego street tacos has become a brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Coeur d’Alene. 

Cultura CDA LLC opened at 155 W. Neider, in October.

“The farmers market was just like a side fun thing for the family,” says Steven Sanchez, who co-founded the business with his wife, Danni, in 2021. “There was literally no idea that we would end up where we are today.”

The small family business, he says, has grown from operating just two days a week into a full-scale brand with a loyal customer base and ambitious expansion plans.

“We’re kind of like a dive bar in a coffee shop — but in taco shop form,” he says. “The regulars we have come in every day.”

When Cultura first launched at a farmers market in the parking lot of Coeur d' Alene's Silver Lake Mall, the Sanchez family served only aguas frescas and experimented with flavors that reminded them of San Diego, where they lived before moving to Idaho days before the onset of the pandemic. Aguas frescas, as described on Cultura's website, are light nonalcoholic beverages made from fresh fruits, rice, or flowers blended with organic cane sugar and water.

After the introduction of traditional pork al pastor cooked on a trompo — a vertical rotisserie used to stack and roast marinated meats such as lamb, chicken, or pork — Sanchez says something just clicked.

“We found we filled a void that we didn’t know was actually missing,” he says. “We were completely slammed at the farmers market. We had a lot of tourists and a lot of people from California. We found a niche that we didn’t know existed.”

Encouraged by the response from Cultura’s regular customers, Sanchez says he invested earnings into building a mobile trailer, which arrived at the end of 2023. Initially, the plan was to continue operating part time while Sanchez ran his own company specializing in branding and social media management.

“The plan was for my wife to run it,” Sanchez says of the mobile operation.

Word spread quickly, and the part-time venture eventually transitioned into a food truck operating 40 hours a week at Coeur d’Alene’s East Sherman Food Trucks, located at 2002 E. Sherman.

“I really fell in love with being part of the community,” he says. “When I was in the media, in my studio, I was just another person in my office editing videos, not really being involved in the community. But being out in the trailer, ... talking to people that are born and raised here, other people from California, just a lot of faces, I really fell in love with it.”

In mid-August, Sanchez leased a building on Neider Avenue and began renovations of the 3,000-square-foot space, investing $60,000 into the remodel.

“Everything just seemed to line up perfectly,” Sanchez says. “The foot traffic, the drive-thru, the location.”

Sanchez says his branding background played a key role designing the new restaurant, from menu boards and graffiti art to merchandise.  Cultura officially opened its doors on Oct. 25 with a soft launch that instantly drew crowds who were familiar with the food truck, Sanchez says.

Cultura’s menu centers on authentic street-style meats cooked on a vertical trompo with choices including pork al pastor and marinated beef.

A customer favorite, Sanchez says, is the O.G. Taco — slow-roasted al pastor on a hand-made corn tortilla, topped with cilantro, onions, and Cultura’s signature pickled onions. 

The 619 Burrito is Cultura’s version of a Southern California burrito.

“It’s just fries, eggs, meat, cheese served on a 13-inch handmade flour tortilla,” Sanchez says.

“We keep it simple,” he adds. “It’s fast, simple, elevated food.”

Other menu items include Baja fish tacos, tortas with fried cheese, loaded fries, Mexican street corn, breakfast burritos, and The Rudy Dog — an all-beef hot dog wrapped in bacon and loaded with beans, house crema, and fresh pico de gallo.

Three house-made salsas are offered, including a fiery salsa roja that Sanchez says staff can’t blend during operating hours without customers coughing.

Sanchez says Cultura prides itself on being more than just a restaurant, as it prioritizes relationships and community.

"We know (our customers) by name. We know what their kids are doing. We know where they're traveling to. It's really interesting,” Sanchez says. “I don't think that happens very often. We call ourselves a taco ministry. My wife and I are a family of faith. We say we're the taco ministry … tacos are our tool and people are our purpose.”

Cultura’s long-term plans include opening additional locations; ideally they all would be company-owned rather than franchised. Sanchez’s goal is nine locations, including four in Coeur d’Alene and the others to potentially open in Boise, Tennessee, and Utah.

“I know I can get two of them in a year and a half,” Sanchez says. “I don’t want to franchise. I would like to own all of them. Right now I’m looking at Raising Cane’s. I love Todd Graves. He owns all of his Raising Cane’s locations.”

Cultura currently employs seven people and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Small Bites

Sahara Pizza has opened in Hayden at 9627 N. Government Way, Suite C. According to the company’s corporate website, the Lake Stevens, Washington-based franchise, which was established in 2002, has 19 locations throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Bolivia.

Maria’s Taqueria is set to open in Spokane Valley at 1427 N. Argonne. According to the restaurant’s social media page, the family-owned Mexican eatery plans to open in early-2026 and will serve authentic Mexican food and drinks, including tacos, combo plates, micheladas, and margaritas.