SACO — It looks like fans of Taco Trio will have to go to South Portland.

Karen Rasmussen and Manny Pena, owners of Taco Trio, a Mexican restaurant in South Portland, had purchased the former Skipper’s Restaurant building at 27 Elm St. in Saco, with plans to open a Saco branch of the popular eatery in March 2021.

The building exterior was redecorated with ancient Mexican symbols on the windows and a Taco Trio sign on the roof, and all signs of the former seafood restaurant were removed.

The restaurant did not open in March 2021, and in August 2021, Rasmussen and Pena said in an email that plans were delayed because they could not find adequate staff to run the restaurant and they did not have a scheduled opening date.

The Mexican restaurant never opened on Elm Street, and now the property is for sale or lease, according to an online real estate listing. The 5,424 square foot building includes the restaurant space with a seating capacity of 65 on the first floor, a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor and a basement-level storage space. The building is on a .2 acre lot and the property is listed for $695,000.

The owners of Taco Trio were unavailable for comment by press time.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.