November 22, 2025 • 32 mins
A working trip to Mexico City turned into a bold idea: serve the soul of Mexican food with plant-based craft so good that non-vegans line up for it. We sit down with co-owner Regina Simmons to trace how Tacotarian grew from a teased opening to six busy locations across Las Vegas and San Diego, all while keeping flavor first and labels second.
Regina breaks down the playbook: position as plant-based to lower the barrier, design a menu that delights both meat-memory seekers and veg-forward purists, and build a commissary that safeguards consistency, controls food cost, and cuts waste. From seitan techniques for carne asada and al pastor to jackfruit birria that holds its own, every item is engineered to taste right before it reads right. That approach fuels a surprising stat—about 70% of guests aren’t vegan—and that’s exactly the point.
We also get into the real engine behind the brand’s momentum: community-first marketing, roles with clear ownership, and a service culture that empowers fixes in the moment. Regina shares how Good Morning Kitchen leverages a second-generation space with breakfast, cocktails, and nighttime commissary production, why franchising starts close to home, and how distributor alignment and ingredient parity shape expansion. Plus, a look at their growing retail line bringing birria and barbacoa jackfruit to grocery shelves. It’s a masterclass in building a resilient restaurant brand in a tough market: lead with flavor, scale with systems, and earn trust one guest at a time.
If the story resonates, follow the show, share this episode with a friend who loves great food, and leave a review so more people can discover these Vegas-grown insights.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_04 (00:00):
Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts,
Paki and Chris.
We are people who are passionateabout business, success, and
culture.
And this is our platform toshowcase the people in our city
who are making it happen.
And on today's podcast, we havea special guest who's making a
big impact on uh the Vegas foodscene, is the co-owner of one of
my personal favorites,Tacotarian, and is also the
co-owner of Good Morning Kitchenand Cocktail Bar.
(00:21):
So welcome to the circle, ReginaSimmons.
Welcome, welcome.
So big fan, big fan of yourrestaurant, man.
You've been killing it.
SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
So yeah, we've been doing amazing.
And thanks for inviting me andfor the opportunity to be here
and share my story.
SPEAKER_04 (00:33):
Appreciate it, man.
So family.
So we had Chef John.
We were talking a little bitabout this.
We won't go down that route,Rob, but that's family of yours,
right?
So this is a family business ofcouples of taco terrorists.
SPEAKER_01 (00:42):
Yeah, so we we kind of met at Firefly when we were
working all for John.
SPEAKER_02 (00:48):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (00:49):
Which is like very crazy because it was my husband
worked for him, I worked forhim, and then my partner,
Carlos, worked for him.
SPEAKER_02 (00:56):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (00:56):
So we actually took this trip to Mexico City.
I'm from Mexico City.
Awesome.
And we needed to do this worktrip, and we were all all
together.
And Carlos's wife, Kristen, sheis vegan.
So I needed to put an itineraryfor her in Mexico City.
And I was like, oh my God, thisgirl's gonna starve.
She's not gonna eat anything,it's gonna be so hard.
(01:18):
But then when I put the wholeitinerary together and I call
these restaurants and I look atall these taco shops and I
realized it was like the foodthat we ate at Wiccan was
amazing.
It was like so, so, so cool andunique that when we came back, I
was like, guys, we we need to dosomething.
So we just got together, and Ialways had this dream of opening
(01:43):
a Mexican restaurant.
My family in Mexico ownsrestaurants, so I've always seen
that.
So naturally moving to theStates and working for
restaurants, I was like, I wantto own my own restaurant.
SPEAKER_03 (01:52):
Okay, good for you.
SPEAKER_01 (01:53):
Yeah, so yeah, then we put together the business
plan, the concept, and we cameup with Tacotarian.
SPEAKER_05 (02:01):
That's awesome.
It was like great timing.
You know, I think at that Iremember when the first one
opened up.
It was like a really big veganmovement, like in Vegas at that
point in time, too.
So, like, even like it's almostlike a kizmen a little bit that
you went and had thisexperience, identified these
cuisines and foods, and itreally and brought it here where
I remember when it came up, itwas like all everybody could
talk about locally.
It was like a big deal forlocals here to to go and try it
(02:21):
and experience that.
SPEAKER_01 (02:22):
And I feel we did a very good job with the
marketing, like we were justteasing people.
I think there there was a gap inVegas, like there was room, and
actually, like I feel thecommunity, the vegan community
needed more vegan concepts,right?
So when we start like puttingyou know on Instagram and
Facebook and start tellingpeople we're gonna open this
(02:42):
concept, and we we start teasingthem a little bit, that helped
us a lot because when we openedthe doors of the first
Equatorian, it was wild, guys.
It was so crazy.
There were lines, people, it wasso, so, so easy.
SPEAKER_04 (02:55):
That's an awesome problem to have, though.
SPEAKER_01 (02:57):
Oh no, it was amazing.
That's what like got us soexcited.
That's why we've been opening alocation every year.
So we we took advantage of themomentum and seen like the
people were liking our concept,and you know, we just duplicated
it and like open downtown, thenHenderson, then Blue Diamond,
then San Diego, then MiracleMount.
SPEAKER_04 (03:18):
So you guys have six now, right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
We have six locations, like five in Las
Vegas, one in San Diego.
Okay, but we have been we'vedone a good job with that.
We we listen, we we understandwhat people want, and we we are
just doing a good job at what weknow that people like, right?
So we're just focusing like ifis this working?
No, like eliminate it.
If this were if this is working,then we say yes, and then we
(03:41):
polish it and make sure we'redoing a good job in it, and
that's why we're able to openstores so fast.
SPEAKER_04 (03:47):
Yeah.
I was gonna ask you, probablyChris was gonna probably ask
about the scaling.
So, how how do you do that?
Were you able to scale everyyear?
Because that's that's very hardto do when one restaurant
doesn't work.
You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (03:57):
Absolutely.
We we first got the we wereconfident that what we were
serving was working, right?
So we we knew that we can wehave a demand for the product.
Something that we work on sincethe beginning is to focus on
non-vegans.
SPEAKER_05 (04:16):
That was gonna be my question, is like, how do you
bridge that gap?
SPEAKER_01 (04:18):
We we never promote veganism, we never like if you
see our name is tacoitarian,plant-based Mexican food, you
know, that's how you got me.
SPEAKER_04 (04:26):
I'm not vegan, and I I'm there like every month.
SPEAKER_01 (04:28):
Yeah, so so even the plant-based and not saying
vegan, it's uh it's a good movefrom us because we want people
to try their food, right?
A lot of times, I mean, we getthis all the time.
It's like, oh sorry, I cannoteat it.
I'm not vegan.
I'm like, do you like guacamole?
You like margaritas?
You're vegan, yeah.
You know, like that.
A lot of times people have thismisconception about veganism,
(04:50):
and vegan food is just likebroccoli or salads.
Yeah, so we want people to tryus, so we don't push in that
veganism part because it's it'sit's not what we're made of.
We what we are proud about is weserve good Mexican food.
And our food is delicious, ourseasonings are good, so we we
(05:14):
know that if you try our food,you're gonna come back.
Yes, yeah, and till today, like70% of our customers are not
vegan.
That's why we open so manystores.
Because you're not able tosurvive with this concept with
just vegans, and we understandit, and we do want people to
understand that you don't haveto be vegan to eat vegan food.
Yeah, you know, anybody can eatenchiladas or you know, tacos or
(05:37):
whatever.
It's just especially because ofthe health movement, right?
SPEAKER_04 (05:40):
Like everybody's trying to get health kinds as
you get older, you know what Imean?
You got all of that.
We're in a great, you're pickinga great area, Vegas, San Diego,
great markets, but I just lovethe fact of having a different
option.
You know what I mean?
That's the biggest thing for meis I can't eat like beef and
steak all the time, so it's niceto just have that option and
switch it up.
SPEAKER_01 (05:57):
Yeah, and and that's what we want people to like
understand.
It's like you can still eat goodfood, delicious food, but
healthy food, you know.
And don't get me wrong, not allvegan food is all healthy, you
know.
Like if you stuff yourself withlike chips and macho cheese all
day long, it ain't gonna begood.
SPEAKER_02 (06:15):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (06:15):
But but we we have a lot of great options there that
you know it's it's just good forpeople.
SPEAKER_05 (06:22):
Yeah, and when you're developing that concept,
so you know, kind of go back alittle bit when you went to
Mexico City and you kind of eatuh had this you know experience
navigating where tacos areHispanic food or Mexican food in
general, it seems to be a greatmix for vegan food because it's
there's a very big focus onmeat, but also to your point, I
could have just a cheesequesadilla and that's a vegan
and that's totally fine, and itand it's great.
(06:42):
So when you're developing thatconcept, you know, how hard do
you push on being moreplant-based versus trying to
mimic like the experience ofpeople that are not vegan that
have a meat alternative?
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
Well, there's there's like a combination there
because we we understand thatthere's half of the people that
want to remember how tastetastes like, and we have people
that hate fake meat, and theywould be like, I would not eat
that.
Uh so that's something that weunderstood since the beginning,
and that's why we have 14different tacos where you can
(07:14):
have, you know, the carne salathat we make, or you can have an
avocado taco or a vegg taco, oryou know, like there's really
variety for everyone.
But respecting the the cultureand the recipes and and that
part, it's it's a lot of fun.
We've had a lot of fun,especially me being Mexican,
(07:36):
trying to represent like theMexican food and just be like,
oh, this has to be good, butalso making it vegan.
It's it's been it's been fun.
It's difficult.
SPEAKER_04 (07:45):
It is it is difficult, but it's doable.
I'm hearing Mexico City isbecoming like a mecca for food
too.
Is that what I'm hearing right?
It's amazing.
That's what I'm hearing.
SPEAKER_01 (07:53):
It's it's beautiful, like the amount of restaurants,
like very talented chefs, or buteven like street food.
It's like I love going to MexicoCity.
I go, my grandma and my family'sstill there, so like I go there
often, but I love going therebecause you get a lot of ideas
and you get a lot of like kindof like the vibe that you want
to bring to your restaurant,what what you want them to feel
(08:15):
when they come.
So yeah, go to Mexico City isamazing.
That's on my list.
SPEAKER_04 (08:18):
That is on my list.
What would you say?
So, what's your favorite thingon the menu?
So, if we were to go in a tacoterrium, what what would you
recommend somebody to eat?
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
Like, if you go for tacos, I always recommend the
pastor tacos.
SPEAKER_04 (08:28):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (08:29):
The best seller will be the carne asada tacos.
It's just like people justrecognize the name, so they go
for that.
I personally really like theenchiladas with molesos.
SPEAKER_02 (08:37):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (08:38):
That's very, very good.
But I love asada fries.
Okay.
Just as so it depends on theday, you know.
You can just have a salad oneday, you can have a soup another
day, or you can just have likesome asada fries the third day.
SPEAKER_04 (08:51):
What is the meat made of?
I'm always like trying to figurethat out.
Like, how the how does I'm on acurse, but how the hell does it
look like that?
And like it looks like it tasteslike real meat.
SPEAKER_01 (08:59):
Yeah, yeah, like like some of them, well, we make
them with different things.
But for instance, our carneasada and our pastor, it's
called Saitan.
So it's visualize this likeyou're making a bread.
Like, have you ever baked breadbefore?
It's kind of like the same wave,but it's the flour that we use
is a lot stronger.
So, like, it's not soggy in themiddle when you bake it.
(09:21):
We of course put some veggieslike mushrooms, but that's gonna
be like when it comes out of theoven, it's a loaf of bread, and
then we cut it uh to get thetexture, and then we season it
with one of our seasonings, thenwe get it out, and then we
season it again with anotherlike there's steps in it to get
the textures.
Then we use jackfruit.
SPEAKER_04 (09:39):
Okay, jackfruit.
I'm familiar with that.
SPEAKER_01 (09:40):
Jackfruit is amazing, like it's a crazy.
We actually just launched ourretail line, and it's a shelf
stable pouch, and it has ourbirria and our barbacoa.
And we so it we're trying tolike get it out in different
stores so people can have moreoptions when they go to grocer
(10:00):
grocery shopping.
But yeah, it's just likejackfruit.
Jackfruit kind of looks likeshredded chicken when when you
when you and it depends on thetime or the season of it.
It could be very sweet, it couldbe very bitter, but what we do
is we fry it.
After you fry it, it gives youmore like a texture of like kind
of like pork.
(10:22):
Okay, and then we just do ourstoo, kind of like that, the same
way you do a barbacoa, you justcook it for the longest time.
So it's a lot of steps, so muchlove in it.
But you have say tan, you havechakfruit, you have avocados,
you we use beyond beef, beyondeverybody knows beyond beef.
We just finish it our way, youknow, like we season it like the
(10:44):
way we want it to taste becausewe don't love the beyond beef by
itself, so we just make thatmake it our own, you know.
SPEAKER_04 (10:52):
That's awesome, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:53):
So, but yeah, options, we have a 13 different
options.
SPEAKER_04 (10:56):
That's amazing.
Yeah, what's the biggestmisconception about running a
restaurant?
Because everybody thinks thatthey, you know, my mom cooks or
I cook or whatever, and it's oneof the hardest business, but
what would you say is thebiggest misconception?
SPEAKER_01 (11:09):
I always give this example to people.
Just because you love your mom'sfood doesn't mean that
everyone's gonna love your mom'sfood, right?
SPEAKER_02 (11:15):
That is very true.
SPEAKER_01 (11:15):
And there's so many steps that you have to think
about when you open arestaurant.
It's not just about the food,it's about do you have the
money?
Do you have the right team?
Do you have the vibe?
Like, like even like the vibethat you're gonna get people to
come back.
SPEAKER_04 (11:32):
The energy when you come in, yeah, I agree.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
Totally, because it's like, do you want them to
come pick up food and leave, ordo you want them to stay and
spend more money in yourrestaurant, you know?
SPEAKER_04 (11:39):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
And the food that it has to be good and it has to
make sense.
Like we are working right nowwhere with our front, we're
gonna start selling franchises,right?
So we are working with ourrecipes and the products that
we're buying and what makessense, what people are gonna,
what people are reallyappreciating or will miss if you
remove it.
Like it's very interesting whenyou're starting to scale.
(12:03):
Yep, it's hard for me becauselike I'm in charge of the
kitchen, so I want to make surelike everything is traditional
and this has to be like mygrandma told me it has to be
done.
And when you're scaling andwhere you're growing, it what's
important to you doesn't meanit's important for everyone.
So I think people think thatwhen you open a restaurant, it's
just super easy and it's justbecause you love your food, but
(12:25):
you have to analyze so manyparts of opening a restaurant
just to make sure that you'regonna do it correctly.
I think I every time my peopleask me, like, what should I do?
I'm like, create a businessplan.
Just put everything on paper andmake sure everything makes
sense.
When you check everything onyour business plan and it's
like, okay, perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect, then open it.
(12:47):
But don't just open to openbecause you love your mom's
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (12:52):
I remember we had Natalia on remember from Big B's
barbecue, she said the samething.
Was actually she was in your youguys' plaza there.
Remember Big B's barbecue?
Oh, yeah.
She moved, so we had Natalia onher and her and her husband and
I, and she said the same thing.
It's like the finances haveliterally gotta be right.
And if you don't, that's howthey fall apart so quick.
SPEAKER_01 (13:10):
Is that yeah, no, and it has to make sense.
Like, I feel sometimes peoplehave so much passion to open the
restaurants that they're like,okay, I'm right.
It's like, no, you're not ready.
Like, they're like what ifnobody comes in for the first
six months?
Do you have enough money tosupport those six months with no
one here?
SPEAKER_04 (13:27):
So, yeah, it's I think a lot of us learn that
during the pandemic.
Yes, like how to get throughbecause you guys fought through
the pandemic and things likethat.
It's extremely hard.
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
It was very, very hard.
And even now, the times thatwe're leaving right now, like uh
the restaurant industry foreveryone, like everyone's
probably 20% down on sales rightnow.
So it's it's difficult for forsmall businesses because you
have to get creative and youknow find ways to bring people
in.
Why are you gonna why why isthis customer gonna pick you and
(13:56):
not someone else if money'stight in our community, right?
So so it's it's a tricky time,but it's the moment where you
get creative and work as a teamand like try to figure out ways
to keep your customers happy andmake sure they come back and
they pick you as a place thatthey're gonna go out that way.
SPEAKER_05 (14:16):
And how do you kind of create that consistency?
I know a lot you talked about,you know, kind of establishing
these recipes and these plansand you know, continuity a
little bit, but as we all know,if somebody goes to a restaurant
and have one bad experience,right?
They have one bad taco, write areview on everything, write a
review and they're gone andnever coming back.
And you know, obviously the mostimportant thing to me in a
restaurant is I want to you knowhave the same experience when
I'm going and picking andchoosing this restaurant.
(14:37):
You know, as you're expandingnow at six restaurants and
trying to take this a largerscale, you know, you it's you
have your hands less in the pot.
And I know that's for anybodywho creates something as unique
as this, it's hard to navigatethat.
But you know, how do you ensurethat consistency just all the
time?
Like to make sure you're alwaysgiven that best experience.
SPEAKER_01 (14:54):
Well, that's a good question because it happens like
definitely when we startedgrowing, that was one of our
frustrations because you will goto a store, you will do your
training at a store, and likemissing something.
Yeah.
Yep, and then and we'll havevery, I was saying like very
passionate Mexican women in ourkitchen that will be like, no,
no, no, this is wrong.
(15:15):
You should do more of this hereand the and it'll be like, no,
you mess up the whole concept.
I'll be like, I appreciate yourfeedback, but like we need to
all agree on it, you know,because there's like so many
locations that have to be on thesame page.
So first being involved, youknow, like you have to be
present or train the team thatis gonna be present for for your
(15:37):
locations, right?
And they create systems.
We we have very good systemswith our kitchens front of the
house for training,communication, just telling them
like if this is not working out,I appreciate your feedback, you
bring it out to me, then wechange the recipe and then we
communicate it to all the teams,right?
Like, there's steps in everyway, but also listening to them.
(15:58):
Yeah, because I think it'salways important that we get
feedback, like so many specialsthat we put on our menu, they
were like literally specialsthat were staff made for
employee meals, and we loved itand like we incorporate it in
our menu.
SPEAKER_02 (16:11):
So creative, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (16:12):
I think part of our growth, I mean, I always tell
people like our staff has beenso supportive and so nice to us
that help us grow.
We're where we are because ofthem as well.
Yeah, but it's it's really beingpresent and creating good
systems where where you are ableto see if something's wrong or
(16:33):
something, and with customerstoo.
We listen to our customers.
So, yes, we hate Yelp.
Yes, we hate like all the likelike just like any restaurant
owner, but we don't like them,okay?
SPEAKER_04 (16:46):
I love that you're being honest about that.
Yeah, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01 (16:48):
It's it is true because like again, like you'll
have a customer says, like, I'vebeen to Taco Charian a hundred
times, and today they gave methe wrong tackle.
I will never go back again.
And you're like, what about the99 other times?
It's like what happened here?
But we are hands-on, we'llcommunicate with them right
away, and we'll be like, Look,like, let us make this right.
(17:09):
We want you to come back.
Even with our staff on thefloor, we train our front of the
house staff to act in themoment.
If you see someone is upset, soyou someone didn't eat their
food, you have to fix it.
Like I always tell people, wedon't make money because people
come one time.
The only way we make money is weconvince them to come back,
right?
(17:29):
So we're gonna do anything inour power as a team to convince
every person here to come back.
So that's how we think about it.
So if you are not happy today,my goal is to convince you to
come back and give me a chanceagain.
SPEAKER_02 (17:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
So we're we're very like hands-on in that part,
making sure you know we give agood experience and our staff
has the confidence, you know,maybe give a free margarita for
next time, a free tech, or like,or sometimes even comp your
check if it's necessary.
Yeah, but if you act what you'rein the restaurant, most likely
we you will save a bad review.
SPEAKER_04 (18:06):
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_05 (18:06):
Yeah, so you really gotta pay attention to people's
body language and see whatthey're all about.
That's because the sales done isthe experience is done, and
that's not really how goodexperiences are made.
Like, you have to get themthrough the process.
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
Yeah, and and it's and what are we gonna do so
these people come back?
Like that, that's always mygoal.
Like, what are we doing?
SPEAKER_04 (18:25):
And I heard you say you're in the kitchen, so we are
you a chef by trade?
SPEAKER_01 (18:28):
No, I am like it's so crazy because we we are two
couples, right?
That own Tacotarian.
And we kind of like started likeorganically, we all started to
take in like our positions.
I speak Spanish, so obviously Ialways help the kitchen more
because most of our people inour kitchen speak Spanish.
(18:48):
So I organically just startedmoving to, you know, recipes,
purchase, distribution.
We have two commissaries, solike creating all the recipes
for commissaries.
They plan for the distributionfor all the stores every day,
like all that stuff.
I just started doing it, and Ijust very got very good at it.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (19:06):
Yeah, you always figured it out.
It's great that you saidorganically, it just came came
together.
It seems like a lot ofbusinesses come that way.
SPEAKER_01 (19:12):
Yeah, I I think that's how it has to go.
Like it has to be like, what'sworking?
And just being open to change,you know.
Like, if this is not working,like we always say, there's no
problems, just solutions, right?
So if this is not working out,how are we gonna fix it?
How are we gonna work throughit?
Just so we we have Kristen, whois in charge of marketing, we
(19:32):
have Carlos, which is in chargeof front of the house, then my
husband, which is like thebrain, so he's us, all the
numbers and back of the house.
And then I do all the kitchen,specialty bands, purchase and
distribution.
So we just find our our our andthat's another reason why we
grow fast too.
Because we found our corners, wejust focus on what we're
(19:54):
supposed to do, and we do a verygood job on what we're supposed
to do.
So we just move and grow.
That's great.
SPEAKER_05 (20:01):
Yeah, that's hard to be able to do.
Yeah, do you think that youknow, because this is a uh a
vegan restaurant by you knowdesign, but does it create like
less like inflationary pressureslike you're seeing like now with
the cost of you know, chickenchicken increasing very
dramatically?
Like, does this kind of hedgeyou a little bit against some of
that experience, or do you feelthat same pressure when you
start to see that food supplyconstraints together?
SPEAKER_01 (20:22):
Well, we we also have a breakfast concept, right?
So I see the struggle with myteam there with our food
cluster, yeah, and I'm justlike, what are what's happening
here?
You know, where yes, priceprices are going up on veggies
and stuff like that.
Since we have a commissary, wecan control a little bit more of
that.
(20:42):
Like I think opening thecommissary was brilliant for us
because we not only have thecontrol of the recipe and
consistency with our six stores,we can control the food coaster
as well.
So a lot of times when you haveso many locations, the waste in
a kitchen that could kill you.
So imagine, yeah.
(21:03):
So we are very like there's veryminimal that uh our small
locations have to do becauseeverything comes pretty much
finished for them.
So I only have to really focuson commissaries and their food
guts because the rest are onlygonna get deliveries.
That makes sense.
So it makes my life so mucheasier.
SPEAKER_04 (21:22):
You lose your mind.
Uh, I do got a question aboutjust marketing-wise, man.
Like, what's the smartestinvestment you guys have made
made on building the brand?
And maybe if advertising, I knowyou guys probably do a lot of
word of mouth, you know,marketing, but what do you guys
spend, you know, for marketingside, or is there a specific
area that you guys we we don'treally spend that much money in
marketing.
SPEAKER_01 (21:42):
So Kristen too, like organically just learned her way
in through through well, havingTacotarian.
SPEAKER_02 (21:49):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (21:49):
Uh, she's taking like tons of classes and stuff,
but most of it is just oursocial media that that we use.
SPEAKER_02 (21:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
And uh and being in the community, I think like
people don't really understandhow important it is to be part
of the community because theword amount really happens
there.
SPEAKER_02 (22:07):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (22:08):
So we partner with a charity every month and we
donate a percentage of our salesto them, which is good too,
because we don't only bringawareness to the charity and
tell people about it, but youknow, you're out and you're
doing events within a peopleseeing you, you care about your
community.
And then, you know, any eventsfrom a tiny little school asking
(22:31):
us, like uh, we were talking, wehave a minute today.
I'm like, oh yeah, I'm doinglike a chili competition.
And they're like, What?
And oh yeah, I'm going to thisschool in San Diego and we're
gonna do a chili competition.
And like people will be like,Why are you wasting your time
going to a chili competition fora school?
But it's like that impact itthat makes such difference.
SPEAKER_04 (22:49):
I get what you I get it.
SPEAKER_01 (22:50):
When people see you, when people talk to you, it's a
totally different experiencethan me sending you a flyer to
your house, right?
So there's a different, kind oflike you know, when when when I
give you something, you give mesomething back.
It kind of works like that.
SPEAKER_02 (23:04):
Very much.
SPEAKER_01 (23:05):
And and we we've done that, like any event or
festival, we do a lot offestivals, we do a lot of
events, and we work a lot withyou know, Clark County and the
CD, and like you they haveevents.
We're always putting our list init.
Festivals like you know, likeEDC, when we were young, all
that we do it because you knowthey put your name, they put
their name on their websites,they have a huge following, and
(23:27):
you know, all these festivalsdon't really have vegan options.
So like a little differentpiece, yeah, yeah.
A lot of these festivals likehaving us because they want to
give variety to the people thatare going to their events,
right?
Very much so, yeah.
So I think that likemarketing-wise, I think people
don't really understand how muchvalue it has to be part of the
community.
SPEAKER_04 (23:47):
That's good.
That's a good gotta talk aboutGood Morning Kitchen.
What can you share the concept?
I have I've I was on our list tocheck out because I've heard
great things, but what can youkind of share what it's all
about?
SPEAKER_01 (23:56):
Good morning, it was interesting because we were
looking for a commissary for ataquetarian, okay, and it was
during COVID time.
SPEAKER_04 (24:03):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (24:04):
So we're like, so we found this place, and it was
these people just left becauseafter COVID, and kitchen was
like built, like equipment,everything in there.
But it was huge for anothertaquetarian, too close to
another location that we had.
So we're like, okay, we can dothe commissary at night, but
(24:24):
let's just open a breakfastconcept in the morning so we can
like take advantage of thespace.
SPEAKER_02 (24:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (24:30):
So that's how good morning like started.
Yeah, yeah.
And then we're like, okay, wecan just do breakfast and
coffee, but then that's like ahundred coffee shops and all
rainbow.
So we're like, let's just dobreakfast and cocktails.
You know, who doesn't like todrink at 10 a.m.?
SPEAKER_03 (24:45):
So he said at 10 a.m.
Yeah.
Especially uh that's uh BuddyMary.
I mean so we we're in Vegas, soI get it.
That makes so much sense.
SPEAKER_01 (24:57):
We build a very good like uh cocktail program, and
then we just pair it, we'd likebreakfast, and I think that's
what pulls apart from everyoneelse on the same street.
SPEAKER_00 (25:07):
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (25:08):
And then you know, at night after we close, then
our commissary teams come in andthey just produce the food for
all the other Tagotarians.
SPEAKER_04 (25:15):
So it it really has a great smart business people,
very smart business people takeadvantage of that whole real
estate.
SPEAKER_01 (25:21):
Yeah, like we we just and it's a huge kitchen,
and it was all built out for us.
So we're like, whoa, this isgreat.
Like as a business owner, whenyou see a second gen, you're
just like, this is mine.
I like this.
SPEAKER_05 (25:32):
Awesome.
Because of that, you know,honestly, how do you start a
whole brand new concept?
But it's almost like runningthese two independently would be
very challenging.
But when you're combining bothof them, that's like really
genius.
It's really smart to do.
SPEAKER_01 (25:42):
Yeah, and and we know about restaurants.
You know, we we've worked, uh,Carlos and I work in restaurants
forever.
So we understand restaurants, weunderstand like how to you know
create systems and makingputting teams together and
recipes and all that.
So as far as you surroundyourself with the right people
and you, you know, continue tobring people that support your
(26:04):
ideas and your vision, I thinkyou can grow.
SPEAKER_04 (26:07):
Yeah, that's great.
Yeah, you guys are great, man.
I can talk with you for hours.
So business advice, life advice.
I always ask people this.
Just I just want to understandyour mind.
Like, what's one lesson as athat every entrepreneur should
hear that's made the biggestimpact on yourself?
SPEAKER_01 (26:22):
I think when you are, you know, an entrepreneur,
when you're a leader, you thinkyou have to do everything
yourself, right?
But I think something I learnedthroughout the years the hard
way, because I'm like aperfectionist and I want
everything my way or thehighway.
So you don't necessarily have todo everything, you can surround
yourself with the right peoplethat understand your vision and
(26:42):
help you grow.
I think there's like a phrase islike if you wanna, I don't even
remember how it was, but youwanna grow fast.
Well, the idea go by yourself,or if you want to grow, like you
have to be surrounded by theright people.
So I I think that if I have togive an advice to someone, it's
just like you don't have to doeverything, surround or say with
(27:04):
surround yourself with the rightpeople, and things would just
awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (27:08):
Yeah, and that's definitely been y'all's story,
having the four different peoplein the business that the experts
in their lane is.
SPEAKER_01 (27:14):
And the people that we have found throughout the
years for our stores.
I give a lot of credit to ourstaff.
I think our staff has been loyalto us, and they have been very
supportive to us, and we havestill people on our team from
day one.
Really?
How long have you guys been atTaco Terry now?
How many years?
It's seven years now.
That's only been seven years.
SPEAKER_04 (27:33):
Wow, yeah, it feels like it's not like it's a Las
Vegas staple for 20 years.
SPEAKER_01 (27:36):
It's seven years.
Yeah, this year will be sevenyears.
SPEAKER_04 (27:39):
Oh, that's why you said a year.
Every year you guys are growing.
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (27:41):
So every year we open a concept, and we right now
we understand we can continueopening more of ourselves.
That's why doing franchising issmart too, because you bring
more people to your team thatyou know have a dream, and then
you just teach them how to do itand you just show them the path.
SPEAKER_04 (27:59):
Yeah, and you guys got a great system.
We always ask somebody aboutfood, man.
So other than your restaurant,because I'm a big foodie, what
what's your favorite restaurantin Vegas?
SPEAKER_01 (28:06):
Oh, there's like a lot of good places.
A lot of good places.
I okay.
I I wanna like throw out my mybrother-in-law's restaurant
because I love it.
And I really, really, it's notbecause I like the guy, I really
like his food.
Yep, and I really think Fireflyjust has amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (28:26):
Shout out to Firefly John Simmons, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (28:28):
And it has a very like people don't even know
this, but they have a greatvegan menu.
They have like a like a very,very good vegan menu there.
Casaplaya.
Have you guys been to CasaPlaya?
SPEAKER_04 (28:40):
Yeah, we went to Casa Playa, yeah.
Very good.
SPEAKER_01 (28:42):
I don't appreciate the pricing.
SPEAKER_04 (28:43):
It's very because it's on a strip.
SPEAKER_01 (28:45):
Yeah, so I do not appreciate the pricing, but the
food is legit.
It's very good.
It's really, really legit.
And it's like sometimes likelike I go with my friend and
she's Mexican too, and I'm like,oh my god, this this tastes like
a market in Mexico.
And she's like, Yeah, veryexpensive market.
I'm like, yes, but but it's goodfood.
Yeah, I think I will give it tothem.
SPEAKER_04 (29:05):
I don't think anybody's mentioned Cassify or
Fire.
Well, Fireflies, we had ChefJohn on.
Yeah, but um, but that's good.
Those two great ones.
Yeah.
What else is what else is nextfor you, man?
So you franchise is what I whatI caught out of that, right?
So that's next.
SPEAKER_01 (29:16):
So our goal is to sell at least two franchises
this year.
SPEAKER_04 (29:20):
Good.
SPEAKER_01 (29:21):
And you know, just like see.
And and just for growth, andlike when you start like
strategizing distributors andlike the brands that you want to
use, something that it's veryhard is like when you have I
don't know, a cheese, like avegan cheese.
(29:42):
Like you can't just swap it fromone to the other.
You know, like if you run out ofsteak, yeah, if you run out of
steak, you just go to the storeand buy a steak, right?
With us, you can't.
Everything is very strategic, soit makes it makes the growth a
little bit more difficultbecause you had to coordinate so
much with you know your.
Distributor with a small, yeah,it's it's very, very
(30:03):
interesting.
So closer the better.
Yeah, just at least at thebeginning until we figure out
how to do it great, and then wecan expand and do more.
And then we are putting a lot oflove and energy into our retail
line.
So we have our two birrianbarbacoa already finished, and
we're working with our twoSatans right now to have them in
(30:24):
stores.
So we're in about 30 differentstores right now.
So we're just trying to pushthat in.
That's exciting.
Yeah, that's like verycommunity.
SPEAKER_04 (30:32):
I salute what you guys are doing, and it was it's
great to have you know locals onjust like yourself.
This is literally why you knowChris and I, my wife, we started
this is exactly this.
You know, I appreciate it.
What you guys are doing, makingan impact and and providing
great food.
You know, yes.
That's the biggest piece, isproviding great food.
SPEAKER_01 (30:47):
And I I feel Vegas has like just so many small
businesses that that it'samazing that you know I do a lot
of events and I love seeing allthe small businesses thrive and
you know, like do things andlike I think it's very, very
cool.
SPEAKER_04 (31:01):
We just had this conversation with a friend of
ours, Patrick Brennan, adeveloper, and uh it's it's so
great, like everything is comingoff the strip because we're
getting, you know what I mean?
I know you have a place on thestrip, obviously Miracle Mile,
which is awesome, you know, butbut it's nice for locals to have
something off the strip that hasto deal with the traffic, and
and we're getting so much greatfood.
SPEAKER_01 (31:19):
Absolutely.
And and it's nice to see alsothis like chefs getting
opportunities like coming fromthe strip and like you know,
like living their dream andopening their concepts and their
own restaurants and and they'rebeing successful.
SPEAKER_03 (31:31):
Yeah, that's the other thing.
SPEAKER_01 (31:32):
That's the coolest part, and they're working for
themselves.
I mean, yeah, that's always coolto see.
SPEAKER_05 (31:37):
That's a great point because you don't very, very
rarely see an off the strip goto the strip.
You see from other states comingto the strip, but it's very nice
to start seeing the internaldynamic moving to that and give
that local experience morenational exposure.
SPEAKER_04 (31:50):
100%.
Well, we applaud you.
Where can people reach out?
What's the social handles peoplecan reach out to you guys on?
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Uh, it's at eat Tagutarian.
SPEAKER_04 (31:56):
Okay, perfect.
So check them out, guys, andthen what's uh Good Ma Good
Morning Kitchen?
SPEAKER_01 (32:01):
Uh Good Morning Kitchen.
SPEAKER_04 (32:03):
That's it.
That's it.
Perfect.
Yep.
So check them out.
We support what they're doingand check us out at the biggest
circle.com.
So appreciate your time, man.
That was great.
Thank you so much for thinking.
Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts,
Paki and Chris.
We are people who are passionateabout business, success, and
culture.
And this is our platform toshowcase the people in our city
who are making it happen.
And on today's podcast, we havea special guest who's making a
big impact on uh the Vegas foodscene, is the co-owner of one of
my personal favorites,Tacotarian, and is also the
co-owner of Good Morning Kitchenand Cocktail Bar.
(00:21):
So welcome to the circle, ReginaSimmons.
Welcome, welcome.
So big fan, big fan of yourrestaurant, man.
You've been killing it.
SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
So yeah, we've been doing amazing.
And thanks for inviting me andfor the opportunity to be here
and share my story.
SPEAKER_04 (00:33):
Appreciate it, man.
So family.
So we had Chef John.
We were talking a little bitabout this.
We won't go down that route,Rob, but that's family of yours,
right?
So this is a family business ofcouples of taco terrorists.
SPEAKER_01 (00:42):
Yeah, so we we kind of met at Firefly when we were
working all for John.
SPEAKER_02 (00:48):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (00:49):
Which is like very crazy because it was my husband
worked for him, I worked forhim, and then my partner,
Carlos, worked for him.
SPEAKER_02 (00:56):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (00:56):
So we actually took this trip to Mexico City.
I'm from Mexico City.
Awesome.
And we needed to do this worktrip, and we were all all
together.
And Carlos's wife, Kristen, sheis vegan.
So I needed to put an itineraryfor her in Mexico City.
And I was like, oh my God, thisgirl's gonna starve.
She's not gonna eat anything,it's gonna be so hard.
(01:18):
But then when I put the wholeitinerary together and I call
these restaurants and I look atall these taco shops and I
realized it was like the foodthat we ate at Wiccan was
amazing.
It was like so, so, so cool andunique that when we came back, I
was like, guys, we we need to dosomething.
So we just got together, and Ialways had this dream of opening
(01:43):
a Mexican restaurant.
My family in Mexico ownsrestaurants, so I've always seen
that.
So naturally moving to theStates and working for
restaurants, I was like, I wantto own my own restaurant.
SPEAKER_03 (01:52):
Okay, good for you.
SPEAKER_01 (01:53):
Yeah, so yeah, then we put together the business
plan, the concept, and we cameup with Tacotarian.
SPEAKER_05 (02:01):
That's awesome.
It was like great timing.
You know, I think at that Iremember when the first one
opened up.
It was like a really big veganmovement, like in Vegas at that
point in time, too.
So, like, even like it's almostlike a kizmen a little bit that
you went and had thisexperience, identified these
cuisines and foods, and itreally and brought it here where
I remember when it came up, itwas like all everybody could
talk about locally.
It was like a big deal forlocals here to to go and try it
(02:21):
and experience that.
SPEAKER_01 (02:22):
And I feel we did a very good job with the
marketing, like we were justteasing people.
I think there there was a gap inVegas, like there was room, and
actually, like I feel thecommunity, the vegan community
needed more vegan concepts,right?
So when we start like puttingyou know on Instagram and
Facebook and start tellingpeople we're gonna open this
(02:42):
concept, and we we start teasingthem a little bit, that helped
us a lot because when we openedthe doors of the first
Equatorian, it was wild, guys.
It was so crazy.
There were lines, people, it wasso, so, so easy.
SPEAKER_04 (02:55):
That's an awesome problem to have, though.
SPEAKER_01 (02:57):
Oh no, it was amazing.
That's what like got us soexcited.
That's why we've been opening alocation every year.
So we we took advantage of themomentum and seen like the
people were liking our concept,and you know, we just duplicated
it and like open downtown, thenHenderson, then Blue Diamond,
then San Diego, then MiracleMount.
SPEAKER_04 (03:18):
So you guys have six now, right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
We have six locations, like five in Las
Vegas, one in San Diego.
Okay, but we have been we'vedone a good job with that.
We we listen, we we understandwhat people want, and we we are
just doing a good job at what weknow that people like, right?
So we're just focusing like ifis this working?
No, like eliminate it.
If this were if this is working,then we say yes, and then we
(03:41):
polish it and make sure we'redoing a good job in it, and
that's why we're able to openstores so fast.
SPEAKER_04 (03:47):
Yeah.
I was gonna ask you, probablyChris was gonna probably ask
about the scaling.
So, how how do you do that?
Were you able to scale everyyear?
Because that's that's very hardto do when one restaurant
doesn't work.
You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (03:57):
Absolutely.
We we first got the we wereconfident that what we were
serving was working, right?
So we we knew that we can wehave a demand for the product.
Something that we work on sincethe beginning is to focus on
non-vegans.
SPEAKER_05 (04:16):
That was gonna be my question, is like, how do you
bridge that gap?
SPEAKER_01 (04:18):
We we never promote veganism, we never like if you
see our name is tacoitarian,plant-based Mexican food, you
know, that's how you got me.
SPEAKER_04 (04:26):
I'm not vegan, and I I'm there like every month.
SPEAKER_01 (04:28):
Yeah, so so even the plant-based and not saying
vegan, it's uh it's a good movefrom us because we want people
to try their food, right?
A lot of times, I mean, we getthis all the time.
It's like, oh sorry, I cannoteat it.
I'm not vegan.
I'm like, do you like guacamole?
You like margaritas?
You're vegan, yeah.
You know, like that.
A lot of times people have thismisconception about veganism,
(04:50):
and vegan food is just likebroccoli or salads.
Yeah, so we want people to tryus, so we don't push in that
veganism part because it's it'sit's not what we're made of.
We what we are proud about is weserve good Mexican food.
And our food is delicious, ourseasonings are good, so we we
(05:14):
know that if you try our food,you're gonna come back.
Yes, yeah, and till today, like70% of our customers are not
vegan.
That's why we open so manystores.
Because you're not able tosurvive with this concept with
just vegans, and we understandit, and we do want people to
understand that you don't haveto be vegan to eat vegan food.
Yeah, you know, anybody can eatenchiladas or you know, tacos or
(05:37):
whatever.
It's just especially because ofthe health movement, right?
SPEAKER_04 (05:40):
Like everybody's trying to get health kinds as
you get older, you know what Imean?
You got all of that.
We're in a great, you're pickinga great area, Vegas, San Diego,
great markets, but I just lovethe fact of having a different
option.
You know what I mean?
That's the biggest thing for meis I can't eat like beef and
steak all the time, so it's niceto just have that option and
switch it up.
SPEAKER_01 (05:57):
Yeah, and and that's what we want people to like
understand.
It's like you can still eat goodfood, delicious food, but
healthy food, you know.
And don't get me wrong, not allvegan food is all healthy, you
know.
Like if you stuff yourself withlike chips and macho cheese all
day long, it ain't gonna begood.
SPEAKER_02 (06:15):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (06:15):
But but we we have a lot of great options there that
you know it's it's just good forpeople.
SPEAKER_05 (06:22):
Yeah, and when you're developing that concept,
so you know, kind of go back alittle bit when you went to
Mexico City and you kind of eatuh had this you know experience
navigating where tacos areHispanic food or Mexican food in
general, it seems to be a greatmix for vegan food because it's
there's a very big focus onmeat, but also to your point, I
could have just a cheesequesadilla and that's a vegan
and that's totally fine, and itand it's great.
(06:42):
So when you're developing thatconcept, you know, how hard do
you push on being moreplant-based versus trying to
mimic like the experience ofpeople that are not vegan that
have a meat alternative?
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
Well, there's there's like a combination there
because we we understand thatthere's half of the people that
want to remember how tastetastes like, and we have people
that hate fake meat, and theywould be like, I would not eat
that.
Uh so that's something that weunderstood since the beginning,
and that's why we have 14different tacos where you can
(07:14):
have, you know, the carne salathat we make, or you can have an
avocado taco or a vegg taco, oryou know, like there's really
variety for everyone.
But respecting the the cultureand the recipes and and that
part, it's it's a lot of fun.
We've had a lot of fun,especially me being Mexican,
(07:36):
trying to represent like theMexican food and just be like,
oh, this has to be good, butalso making it vegan.
It's it's been it's been fun.
It's difficult.
SPEAKER_04 (07:45):
It is it is difficult, but it's doable.
I'm hearing Mexico City isbecoming like a mecca for food
too.
Is that what I'm hearing right?
It's amazing.
That's what I'm hearing.
SPEAKER_01 (07:53):
It's it's beautiful, like the amount of restaurants,
like very talented chefs, or buteven like street food.
It's like I love going to MexicoCity.
I go, my grandma and my family'sstill there, so like I go there
often, but I love going therebecause you get a lot of ideas
and you get a lot of like kindof like the vibe that you want
to bring to your restaurant,what what you want them to feel
(08:15):
when they come.
So yeah, go to Mexico City isamazing.
That's on my list.
SPEAKER_04 (08:18):
That is on my list.
What would you say?
So, what's your favorite thingon the menu?
So, if we were to go in a tacoterrium, what what would you
recommend somebody to eat?
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
Like, if you go for tacos, I always recommend the
pastor tacos.
SPEAKER_04 (08:28):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (08:29):
The best seller will be the carne asada tacos.
It's just like people justrecognize the name, so they go
for that.
I personally really like theenchiladas with molesos.
SPEAKER_02 (08:37):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (08:38):
That's very, very good.
But I love asada fries.
Okay.
Just as so it depends on theday, you know.
You can just have a salad oneday, you can have a soup another
day, or you can just have likesome asada fries the third day.
SPEAKER_04 (08:51):
What is the meat made of?
I'm always like trying to figurethat out.
Like, how the how does I'm on acurse, but how the hell does it
look like that?
And like it looks like it tasteslike real meat.
SPEAKER_01 (08:59):
Yeah, yeah, like like some of them, well, we make
them with different things.
But for instance, our carneasada and our pastor, it's
called Saitan.
So it's visualize this likeyou're making a bread.
Like, have you ever baked breadbefore?
It's kind of like the same wave,but it's the flour that we use
is a lot stronger.
So, like, it's not soggy in themiddle when you bake it.
(09:21):
We of course put some veggieslike mushrooms, but that's gonna
be like when it comes out of theoven, it's a loaf of bread, and
then we cut it uh to get thetexture, and then we season it
with one of our seasonings, thenwe get it out, and then we
season it again with anotherlike there's steps in it to get
the textures.
Then we use jackfruit.
SPEAKER_04 (09:39):
Okay, jackfruit.
I'm familiar with that.
SPEAKER_01 (09:40):
Jackfruit is amazing, like it's a crazy.
We actually just launched ourretail line, and it's a shelf
stable pouch, and it has ourbirria and our barbacoa.
And we so it we're trying tolike get it out in different
stores so people can have moreoptions when they go to grocer
(10:00):
grocery shopping.
But yeah, it's just likejackfruit.
Jackfruit kind of looks likeshredded chicken when when you
when you and it depends on thetime or the season of it.
It could be very sweet, it couldbe very bitter, but what we do
is we fry it.
After you fry it, it gives youmore like a texture of like kind
of like pork.
(10:22):
Okay, and then we just do ourstoo, kind of like that, the same
way you do a barbacoa, you justcook it for the longest time.
So it's a lot of steps, so muchlove in it.
But you have say tan, you havechakfruit, you have avocados,
you we use beyond beef, beyondeverybody knows beyond beef.
We just finish it our way, youknow, like we season it like the
(10:44):
way we want it to taste becausewe don't love the beyond beef by
itself, so we just make thatmake it our own, you know.
SPEAKER_04 (10:52):
That's awesome, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:53):
So, but yeah, options, we have a 13 different
options.
SPEAKER_04 (10:56):
That's amazing.
Yeah, what's the biggestmisconception about running a
restaurant?
Because everybody thinks thatthey, you know, my mom cooks or
I cook or whatever, and it's oneof the hardest business, but
what would you say is thebiggest misconception?
SPEAKER_01 (11:09):
I always give this example to people.
Just because you love your mom'sfood doesn't mean that
everyone's gonna love your mom'sfood, right?
SPEAKER_02 (11:15):
That is very true.
SPEAKER_01 (11:15):
And there's so many steps that you have to think
about when you open arestaurant.
It's not just about the food,it's about do you have the
money?
Do you have the right team?
Do you have the vibe?
Like, like even like the vibethat you're gonna get people to
come back.
SPEAKER_04 (11:32):
The energy when you come in, yeah, I agree.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
Totally, because it's like, do you want them to
come pick up food and leave, ordo you want them to stay and
spend more money in yourrestaurant, you know?
SPEAKER_04 (11:39):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (11:40):
And the food that it has to be good and it has to
make sense.
Like we are working right nowwhere with our front, we're
gonna start selling franchises,right?
So we are working with ourrecipes and the products that
we're buying and what makessense, what people are gonna,
what people are reallyappreciating or will miss if you
remove it.
Like it's very interesting whenyou're starting to scale.
(12:03):
Yep, it's hard for me becauselike I'm in charge of the
kitchen, so I want to make surelike everything is traditional
and this has to be like mygrandma told me it has to be
done.
And when you're scaling andwhere you're growing, it what's
important to you doesn't meanit's important for everyone.
So I think people think thatwhen you open a restaurant, it's
just super easy and it's justbecause you love your food, but
(12:25):
you have to analyze so manyparts of opening a restaurant
just to make sure that you'regonna do it correctly.
I think I every time my peopleask me, like, what should I do?
I'm like, create a businessplan.
Just put everything on paper andmake sure everything makes
sense.
When you check everything onyour business plan and it's
like, okay, perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect, then open it.
(12:47):
But don't just open to openbecause you love your mom's
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (12:52):
I remember we had Natalia on remember from Big B's
barbecue, she said the samething.
Was actually she was in your youguys' plaza there.
Remember Big B's barbecue?
Oh, yeah.
She moved, so we had Natalia onher and her and her husband and
I, and she said the same thing.
It's like the finances haveliterally gotta be right.
And if you don't, that's howthey fall apart so quick.
SPEAKER_01 (13:10):
Is that yeah, no, and it has to make sense.
Like, I feel sometimes peoplehave so much passion to open the
restaurants that they're like,okay, I'm right.
It's like, no, you're not ready.
Like, they're like what ifnobody comes in for the first
six months?
Do you have enough money tosupport those six months with no
one here?
SPEAKER_04 (13:27):
So, yeah, it's I think a lot of us learn that
during the pandemic.
Yes, like how to get throughbecause you guys fought through
the pandemic and things likethat.
It's extremely hard.
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
It was very, very hard.
And even now, the times thatwe're leaving right now, like uh
the restaurant industry foreveryone, like everyone's
probably 20% down on sales rightnow.
So it's it's difficult for forsmall businesses because you
have to get creative and youknow find ways to bring people
in.
Why are you gonna why why isthis customer gonna pick you and
(13:56):
not someone else if money'stight in our community, right?
So so it's it's a tricky time,but it's the moment where you
get creative and work as a teamand like try to figure out ways
to keep your customers happy andmake sure they come back and
they pick you as a place thatthey're gonna go out that way.
SPEAKER_05 (14:16):
And how do you kind of create that consistency?
I know a lot you talked about,you know, kind of establishing
these recipes and these plansand you know, continuity a
little bit, but as we all know,if somebody goes to a restaurant
and have one bad experience,right?
They have one bad taco, write areview on everything, write a
review and they're gone andnever coming back.
And you know, obviously the mostimportant thing to me in a
restaurant is I want to you knowhave the same experience when
I'm going and picking andchoosing this restaurant.
(14:37):
You know, as you're expandingnow at six restaurants and
trying to take this a largerscale, you know, you it's you
have your hands less in the pot.
And I know that's for anybodywho creates something as unique
as this, it's hard to navigatethat.
But you know, how do you ensurethat consistency just all the
time?
Like to make sure you're alwaysgiven that best experience.
SPEAKER_01 (14:54):
Well, that's a good question because it happens like
definitely when we startedgrowing, that was one of our
frustrations because you will goto a store, you will do your
training at a store, and likemissing something.
Yeah.
Yep, and then and we'll havevery, I was saying like very
passionate Mexican women in ourkitchen that will be like, no,
no, no, this is wrong.
(15:15):
You should do more of this hereand the and it'll be like, no,
you mess up the whole concept.
I'll be like, I appreciate yourfeedback, but like we need to
all agree on it, you know,because there's like so many
locations that have to be on thesame page.
So first being involved, youknow, like you have to be
present or train the team thatis gonna be present for for your
(15:37):
locations, right?
And they create systems.
We we have very good systemswith our kitchens front of the
house for training,communication, just telling them
like if this is not working out,I appreciate your feedback, you
bring it out to me, then wechange the recipe and then we
communicate it to all the teams,right?
Like, there's steps in everyway, but also listening to them.
(15:58):
Yeah, because I think it'salways important that we get
feedback, like so many specialsthat we put on our menu, they
were like literally specialsthat were staff made for
employee meals, and we loved itand like we incorporate it in
our menu.
SPEAKER_02 (16:11):
So creative, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (16:12):
I think part of our growth, I mean, I always tell
people like our staff has beenso supportive and so nice to us
that help us grow.
We're where we are because ofthem as well.
Yeah, but it's it's really beingpresent and creating good
systems where where you are ableto see if something's wrong or
(16:33):
something, and with customerstoo.
We listen to our customers.
So, yes, we hate Yelp.
Yes, we hate like all the likelike just like any restaurant
owner, but we don't like them,okay?
SPEAKER_04 (16:46):
I love that you're being honest about that.
Yeah, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01 (16:48):
It's it is true because like again, like you'll
have a customer says, like, I'vebeen to Taco Charian a hundred
times, and today they gave methe wrong tackle.
I will never go back again.
And you're like, what about the99 other times?
It's like what happened here?
But we are hands-on, we'llcommunicate with them right
away, and we'll be like, Look,like, let us make this right.
(17:09):
We want you to come back.
Even with our staff on thefloor, we train our front of the
house staff to act in themoment.
If you see someone is upset, soyou someone didn't eat their
food, you have to fix it.
Like I always tell people, wedon't make money because people
come one time.
The only way we make money is weconvince them to come back,
right?
(17:29):
So we're gonna do anything inour power as a team to convince
every person here to come back.
So that's how we think about it.
So if you are not happy today,my goal is to convince you to
come back and give me a chanceagain.
SPEAKER_02 (17:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
So we're we're very like hands-on in that part,
making sure you know we give agood experience and our staff
has the confidence, you know,maybe give a free margarita for
next time, a free tech, or like,or sometimes even comp your
check if it's necessary.
Yeah, but if you act what you'rein the restaurant, most likely
we you will save a bad review.
SPEAKER_04 (18:06):
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_05 (18:06):
Yeah, so you really gotta pay attention to people's
body language and see whatthey're all about.
That's because the sales done isthe experience is done, and
that's not really how goodexperiences are made.
Like, you have to get themthrough the process.
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
Yeah, and and it's and what are we gonna do so
these people come back?
Like that, that's always mygoal.
Like, what are we doing?
SPEAKER_04 (18:25):
And I heard you say you're in the kitchen, so we are
you a chef by trade?
SPEAKER_01 (18:28):
No, I am like it's so crazy because we we are two
couples, right?
That own Tacotarian.
And we kind of like started likeorganically, we all started to
take in like our positions.
I speak Spanish, so obviously Ialways help the kitchen more
because most of our people inour kitchen speak Spanish.
(18:48):
So I organically just startedmoving to, you know, recipes,
purchase, distribution.
We have two commissaries, solike creating all the recipes
for commissaries.
They plan for the distributionfor all the stores every day,
like all that stuff.
I just started doing it, and Ijust very got very good at it.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (19:06):
Yeah, you always figured it out.
It's great that you saidorganically, it just came came
together.
It seems like a lot ofbusinesses come that way.
SPEAKER_01 (19:12):
Yeah, I I think that's how it has to go.
Like it has to be like, what'sworking?
And just being open to change,you know.
Like, if this is not working,like we always say, there's no
problems, just solutions, right?
So if this is not working out,how are we gonna fix it?
How are we gonna work throughit?
Just so we we have Kristen, whois in charge of marketing, we
(19:32):
have Carlos, which is in chargeof front of the house, then my
husband, which is like thebrain, so he's us, all the
numbers and back of the house.
And then I do all the kitchen,specialty bands, purchase and
distribution.
So we just find our our our andthat's another reason why we
grow fast too.
Because we found our corners, wejust focus on what we're
(19:54):
supposed to do, and we do a verygood job on what we're supposed
to do.
So we just move and grow.
That's great.
SPEAKER_05 (20:01):
Yeah, that's hard to be able to do.
Yeah, do you think that youknow, because this is a uh a
vegan restaurant by you knowdesign, but does it create like
less like inflationary pressureslike you're seeing like now with
the cost of you know, chickenchicken increasing very
dramatically?
Like, does this kind of hedgeyou a little bit against some of
that experience, or do you feelthat same pressure when you
start to see that food supplyconstraints together?
SPEAKER_01 (20:22):
Well, we we also have a breakfast concept, right?
So I see the struggle with myteam there with our food
cluster, yeah, and I'm justlike, what are what's happening
here?
You know, where yes, priceprices are going up on veggies
and stuff like that.
Since we have a commissary, wecan control a little bit more of
that.
(20:42):
Like I think opening thecommissary was brilliant for us
because we not only have thecontrol of the recipe and
consistency with our six stores,we can control the food coaster
as well.
So a lot of times when you haveso many locations, the waste in
a kitchen that could kill you.
So imagine, yeah.
(21:03):
So we are very like there's veryminimal that uh our small
locations have to do becauseeverything comes pretty much
finished for them.
So I only have to really focuson commissaries and their food
guts because the rest are onlygonna get deliveries.
That makes sense.
So it makes my life so mucheasier.
SPEAKER_04 (21:22):
You lose your mind.
Uh, I do got a question aboutjust marketing-wise, man.
Like, what's the smartestinvestment you guys have made
made on building the brand?
And maybe if advertising, I knowyou guys probably do a lot of
word of mouth, you know,marketing, but what do you guys
spend, you know, for marketingside, or is there a specific
area that you guys we we don'treally spend that much money in
marketing.
SPEAKER_01 (21:42):
So Kristen too, like organically just learned her way
in through through well, havingTacotarian.
SPEAKER_02 (21:49):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (21:49):
Uh, she's taking like tons of classes and stuff,
but most of it is just oursocial media that that we use.
SPEAKER_02 (21:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
And uh and being in the community, I think like
people don't really understandhow important it is to be part
of the community because theword amount really happens
there.
SPEAKER_02 (22:07):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (22:08):
So we partner with a charity every month and we
donate a percentage of our salesto them, which is good too,
because we don't only bringawareness to the charity and
tell people about it, but youknow, you're out and you're
doing events within a peopleseeing you, you care about your
community.
And then, you know, any eventsfrom a tiny little school asking
(22:31):
us, like uh, we were talking, wehave a minute today.
I'm like, oh yeah, I'm doinglike a chili competition.
And they're like, What?
And oh yeah, I'm going to thisschool in San Diego and we're
gonna do a chili competition.
And like people will be like,Why are you wasting your time
going to a chili competition fora school?
But it's like that impact itthat makes such difference.
SPEAKER_04 (22:49):
I get what you I get it.
SPEAKER_01 (22:50):
When people see you, when people talk to you, it's a
totally different experiencethan me sending you a flyer to
your house, right?
So there's a different, kind oflike you know, when when when I
give you something, you give mesomething back.
It kind of works like that.
SPEAKER_02 (23:04):
Very much.
SPEAKER_01 (23:05):
And and we we've done that, like any event or
festival, we do a lot offestivals, we do a lot of
events, and we work a lot withyou know, Clark County and the
CD, and like you they haveevents.
We're always putting our list init.
Festivals like you know, likeEDC, when we were young, all
that we do it because you knowthey put your name, they put
their name on their websites,they have a huge following, and
(23:27):
you know, all these festivalsdon't really have vegan options.
So like a little differentpiece, yeah, yeah.
A lot of these festivals likehaving us because they want to
give variety to the people thatare going to their events,
right?
Very much so, yeah.
So I think that likemarketing-wise, I think people
don't really understand how muchvalue it has to be part of the
community.
SPEAKER_04 (23:47):
That's good.
That's a good gotta talk aboutGood Morning Kitchen.
What can you share the concept?
I have I've I was on our list tocheck out because I've heard
great things, but what can youkind of share what it's all
about?
SPEAKER_01 (23:56):
Good morning, it was interesting because we were
looking for a commissary for ataquetarian, okay, and it was
during COVID time.
SPEAKER_04 (24:03):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (24:04):
So we're like, so we found this place, and it was
these people just left becauseafter COVID, and kitchen was
like built, like equipment,everything in there.
But it was huge for anothertaquetarian, too close to
another location that we had.
So we're like, okay, we can dothe commissary at night, but
(24:24):
let's just open a breakfastconcept in the morning so we can
like take advantage of thespace.
SPEAKER_02 (24:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (24:30):
So that's how good morning like started.
Yeah, yeah.
And then we're like, okay, wecan just do breakfast and
coffee, but then that's like ahundred coffee shops and all
rainbow.
So we're like, let's just dobreakfast and cocktails.
You know, who doesn't like todrink at 10 a.m.?
SPEAKER_03 (24:45):
So he said at 10 a.m.
Yeah.
Especially uh that's uh BuddyMary.
I mean so we we're in Vegas, soI get it.
That makes so much sense.
SPEAKER_01 (24:57):
We build a very good like uh cocktail program, and
then we just pair it, we'd likebreakfast, and I think that's
what pulls apart from everyoneelse on the same street.
SPEAKER_00 (25:07):
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (25:08):
And then you know, at night after we close, then
our commissary teams come in andthey just produce the food for
all the other Tagotarians.
SPEAKER_04 (25:15):
So it it really has a great smart business people,
very smart business people takeadvantage of that whole real
estate.
SPEAKER_01 (25:21):
Yeah, like we we just and it's a huge kitchen,
and it was all built out for us.
So we're like, whoa, this isgreat.
Like as a business owner, whenyou see a second gen, you're
just like, this is mine.
I like this.
SPEAKER_05 (25:32):
Awesome.
Because of that, you know,honestly, how do you start a
whole brand new concept?
But it's almost like runningthese two independently would be
very challenging.
But when you're combining bothof them, that's like really
genius.
It's really smart to do.
SPEAKER_01 (25:42):
Yeah, and and we know about restaurants.
You know, we we've worked, uh,Carlos and I work in restaurants
forever.
So we understand restaurants, weunderstand like how to you know
create systems and makingputting teams together and
recipes and all that.
So as far as you surroundyourself with the right people
and you, you know, continue tobring people that support your
(26:04):
ideas and your vision, I thinkyou can grow.
SPEAKER_04 (26:07):
Yeah, that's great.
Yeah, you guys are great, man.
I can talk with you for hours.
So business advice, life advice.
I always ask people this.
Just I just want to understandyour mind.
Like, what's one lesson as athat every entrepreneur should
hear that's made the biggestimpact on yourself?
SPEAKER_01 (26:22):
I think when you are, you know, an entrepreneur,
when you're a leader, you thinkyou have to do everything
yourself, right?
But I think something I learnedthroughout the years the hard
way, because I'm like aperfectionist and I want
everything my way or thehighway.
So you don't necessarily have todo everything, you can surround
yourself with the right peoplethat understand your vision and
(26:42):
help you grow.
I think there's like a phrase islike if you wanna, I don't even
remember how it was, but youwanna grow fast.
Well, the idea go by yourself,or if you want to grow, like you
have to be surrounded by theright people.
So I I think that if I have togive an advice to someone, it's
just like you don't have to doeverything, surround or say with
(27:04):
surround yourself with the rightpeople, and things would just
awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (27:08):
Yeah, and that's definitely been y'all's story,
having the four different peoplein the business that the experts
in their lane is.
SPEAKER_01 (27:14):
And the people that we have found throughout the
years for our stores.
I give a lot of credit to ourstaff.
I think our staff has been loyalto us, and they have been very
supportive to us, and we havestill people on our team from
day one.
Really?
How long have you guys been atTaco Terry now?
How many years?
It's seven years now.
That's only been seven years.
SPEAKER_04 (27:33):
Wow, yeah, it feels like it's not like it's a Las
Vegas staple for 20 years.
SPEAKER_01 (27:36):
It's seven years.
Yeah, this year will be sevenyears.
SPEAKER_04 (27:39):
Oh, that's why you said a year.
Every year you guys are growing.
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (27:41):
So every year we open a concept, and we right now
we understand we can continueopening more of ourselves.
That's why doing franchising issmart too, because you bring
more people to your team thatyou know have a dream, and then
you just teach them how to do itand you just show them the path.
SPEAKER_04 (27:59):
Yeah, and you guys got a great system.
We always ask somebody aboutfood, man.
So other than your restaurant,because I'm a big foodie, what
what's your favorite restaurantin Vegas?
SPEAKER_01 (28:06):
Oh, there's like a lot of good places.
A lot of good places.
I okay.
I I wanna like throw out my mybrother-in-law's restaurant
because I love it.
And I really, really, it's notbecause I like the guy, I really
like his food.
Yep, and I really think Fireflyjust has amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (28:26):
Shout out to Firefly John Simmons, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (28:28):
And it has a very like people don't even know
this, but they have a greatvegan menu.
They have like a like a very,very good vegan menu there.
Casaplaya.
Have you guys been to CasaPlaya?
SPEAKER_04 (28:40):
Yeah, we went to Casa Playa, yeah.
Very good.
SPEAKER_01 (28:42):
I don't appreciate the pricing.
SPEAKER_04 (28:43):
It's very because it's on a strip.
SPEAKER_01 (28:45):
Yeah, so I do not appreciate the pricing, but the
food is legit.
It's very good.
It's really, really legit.
And it's like sometimes likelike I go with my friend and
she's Mexican too, and I'm like,oh my god, this this tastes like
a market in Mexico.
And she's like, Yeah, veryexpensive market.
I'm like, yes, but but it's goodfood.
Yeah, I think I will give it tothem.
SPEAKER_04 (29:05):
I don't think anybody's mentioned Cassify or
Fire.
Well, Fireflies, we had ChefJohn on.
Yeah, but um, but that's good.
Those two great ones.
Yeah.
What else is what else is nextfor you, man?
So you franchise is what I whatI caught out of that, right?
So that's next.
SPEAKER_01 (29:16):
So our goal is to sell at least two franchises
this year.
SPEAKER_04 (29:20):
Good.
SPEAKER_01 (29:21):
And you know, just like see.
And and just for growth, andlike when you start like
strategizing distributors andlike the brands that you want to
use, something that it's veryhard is like when you have I
don't know, a cheese, like avegan cheese.
(29:42):
Like you can't just swap it fromone to the other.
You know, like if you run out ofsteak, yeah, if you run out of
steak, you just go to the storeand buy a steak, right?
With us, you can't.
Everything is very strategic, soit makes it makes the growth a
little bit more difficultbecause you had to coordinate so
much with you know your.
Distributor with a small, yeah,it's it's very, very
(30:03):
interesting.
So closer the better.
Yeah, just at least at thebeginning until we figure out
how to do it great, and then wecan expand and do more.
And then we are putting a lot oflove and energy into our retail
line.
So we have our two birrianbarbacoa already finished, and
we're working with our twoSatans right now to have them in
(30:24):
stores.
So we're in about 30 differentstores right now.
So we're just trying to pushthat in.
That's exciting.
Yeah, that's like verycommunity.
SPEAKER_04 (30:32):
I salute what you guys are doing, and it was it's
great to have you know locals onjust like yourself.
This is literally why you knowChris and I, my wife, we started
this is exactly this.
You know, I appreciate it.
What you guys are doing, makingan impact and and providing
great food.
You know, yes.
That's the biggest piece, isproviding great food.
SPEAKER_01 (30:47):
And I I feel Vegas has like just so many small
businesses that that it'samazing that you know I do a lot
of events and I love seeing allthe small businesses thrive and
you know, like do things andlike I think it's very, very
cool.
SPEAKER_04 (31:01):
We just had this conversation with a friend of
ours, Patrick Brennan, adeveloper, and uh it's it's so
great, like everything is comingoff the strip because we're
getting, you know what I mean?
I know you have a place on thestrip, obviously Miracle Mile,
which is awesome, you know, butbut it's nice for locals to have
something off the strip that hasto deal with the traffic, and
and we're getting so much greatfood.
SPEAKER_01 (31:19):
Absolutely.
And and it's nice to see alsothis like chefs getting
opportunities like coming fromthe strip and like you know,
like living their dream andopening their concepts and their
own restaurants and and they'rebeing successful.
SPEAKER_03 (31:31):
Yeah, that's the other thing.
SPEAKER_01 (31:32):
That's the coolest part, and they're working for
themselves.
I mean, yeah, that's always coolto see.
SPEAKER_05 (31:37):
That's a great point because you don't very, very
rarely see an off the strip goto the strip.
You see from other states comingto the strip, but it's very nice
to start seeing the internaldynamic moving to that and give
that local experience morenational exposure.
SPEAKER_04 (31:50):
100%.
Well, we applaud you.
Where can people reach out?
What's the social handles peoplecan reach out to you guys on?
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Uh, it's at eat Tagutarian.
SPEAKER_04 (31:56):
Okay, perfect.
So check them out, guys, andthen what's uh Good Ma Good
Morning Kitchen?
SPEAKER_01 (32:01):
Uh Good Morning Kitchen.
SPEAKER_04 (32:03):
That's it.
That's it.
Perfect.
Yep.
So check them out.
We support what they're doingand check us out at the biggest
circle.com.
So appreciate your time, man.
That was great.
Thank you so much for thinking.
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Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.