An Immigration Success Story That Hits Different: 'Super Taco'

Sacramento’s Super Taco founder Julian shares his powerful immigration success story. After moving to the U.S. with his family in search of a better life, Julian worked long hours in the fields and was even scammed by a dishonest contractor.s But at just 23, he opened his first Super Taco, and through grit, faith, and nonstop hustle, he grew it into five thriving locations with over 100 employees.Julian reflects on the importance of hard work, saving money, listening to good advice, and keeping God at the center. His deep love for America, his family’s support, and his humble spirit shine through in this inspiring journey of perseverance and purpose.

00:00 Intro

04:35 The Reality of Immigrating to America

08:53 Childhood Dreams and Struggles in Mexico

23:58 Moving to Sacramento: A New Beginning

32:10 Why He Opened a Business So Young

41:11 How “Super Taco” Got Its Name

43:07 The Grind: Long Hours and Sacrifice

47:31 He Almost Gave Up: Thinking About Selling

49:54 What Made Him Stay: The Turning Point

54:06 How He Grew to 5 Locations

54:21 Contractor Problems and Business Risks

01:03:17 Real Advice for Future Entrepreneurs

01:07:49 Final Words: Gratitude and Staying Humble#survivorstory

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I was 23 when I first opened Super Taco and me.
I just thought of opening one location, a small shop and and
that's it. I never thought of having 5
restaurants like I do. Now and 100 employees and 100.
Employees, I mean, so I never, that wasn't the plan.
My parents were here in California trying to get a
better life for for them in the in the family.

(00:20):
So since I was little, I was like, I want to go to a big
city. I don't this is this small town
is not my it's not me. Then finally when they got all
my legal stuff, my green card done, I was so excited.
I was like, wow, this is beautiful because you know, I
love everything about America. It was beautiful.
You know, the land of the opportunity and the this is the
place where I can conquer my dreams.

(00:42):
You know, now we, we don't thinkof going back.
We're like, no, this is our home, This is our country and
this is our home, you know, and then we have to love it, protect
it and, and, and, and support it, you know, any way we can,
because that's what you're supposed to do when you love a
country and when you love your home.

(01:08):
Every day it's like, I'm seeing the sun.
I'm in my house. I got my family.
The sun is beautiful. So I was like, I got a job.
Gratitude. So, yeah, so I was like, thank
you, God for this, you know, thank you, thank you, life and
God for for this day. Because sometimes you don't
know, you know, if you're going to be around, you know, next

(01:30):
month or. You know, were you all?
Have you always been religious? Well, since I was a little kid,
you know, my, my grandma, my momhad been religious, but
sometimes, and so they, they always kept it on me and they,
they told me this is the only religion you I want, we want you

(01:50):
to explore, you know, another. Religion, this is.
My grandma was like, this is yougot to stay with this.
Catholicism. Yeah, OK.
And then my mom too, she was like, so, so like, OK, I'll try.
But but at the same time, I was like, I was open, you know, I
was like, it's something a different religion kind of, you

(02:10):
know, you know, being another that is closer to Catholicism.
If he, if it touches me and if you feel very strong about it,
you know, I probably would switch.
But now I don't think so. You know, I don't, I don't think
so, but. So nothing's touched you as.
Same as no, but I think because whatever I think you can find it

(02:32):
there. You know, you don't have to go
very far. It's just, you know, good look
at, you know, the Bible and it'sjust I haven't studied or gotten
into it. So there's a lot to learn.
It's like if I haven't haven't really explored this, why should
I jump in another? Oh, that's a good point.

(02:52):
Yeah. Yeah.
Then you're just acquiring knowledge and you've never
actually put it into work, so you don't know what's true and
what's not true. It's like you have a book and
you never finished it. It's like, OK, how do you know
that this Yeah, it was going to work for you?
So do you ever you pray, I imagine you probably pray for
guidance and hey, what do you ever hear back from God?
How does How does he talk to you?

(03:13):
I don't think, you know, I have never, I have never talked to or
seen God or talked to God, but Ithink he does.
I think she he does send us messages or or or or guidance or
or or or messages. Don't do this.

(03:34):
Don't do that. Like messages, you think, do you
experience them through other people or kind of through
yourself? Like you get an intuition a
little. Bit through myself I mean that's
awesome yeah. You, you kind of I just like I
knew this. I wasn't supposed to do this,
you know, and and because the, you know, the Bible and
everything and and and and I didit and they was like and I

(03:57):
didn't like it and then they it turned.
Out. Well, yeah, exactly what they
said would happen. Yeah, yeah.
So it did go well. I was like, oh.
So but you had a feeling that you weren't supposed to do it
and you went against that feeling.
Yeah, I think that's Yeah, I think that's that, that, that
God intuition. It's like a squeeze kind of in
your solar Plex. And you can kind of feel it
around your heart. And yeah, you can ignore that
and over and over and over and, and it will get suffocated.

(04:20):
But I just see people's lives get lost when they're not
listening to that feeling. And I'm not necessarily
religion, but just I, I do thinkwe all have intuition.
And, you know, our society hasn't been trained to use it,
but we do have it. Where?
Where are you from originally? You know, from Mexico, I was.
Oh, what part? Yeah, part of a Michoacan.

(04:44):
Michoacan is central state, but two hours from Guadalajara,
Jalisco. Jalisco is another state where
neighbors a beautiful state, Jalisco.
And well, Michoacan is beautifultoo, is big.
And but the problem, you know, the problem is that there's the
people. The people leave their states or
other countries because something major is wrong.

(05:07):
You know, you know politics. You know politics.
I don't know much about politics, but I don't want to,
you know, I don't know much about them.
But I think something, you know,unemployment is kind of a real,
it's high that I mean, and then and then now security, you know,
there's issues where there's other stuff.
Yeah, yeah. Like something else happened.

(05:28):
And so some people is like opportunity, you know,
opportunities. Not as much.
There it has a lot to offer, butwhen I was growing up, I mean
it, it was more opportunities. I mean, there was like, OK to
get a job. I mean, what you going to do
5-10 bucks a week? I mean, I mean, are you going to
be, is that something you're looking for when you grow up?

(05:49):
So since I was little, I was like, I want to, I want to go
move into, I want to go to a bigcity.
I don't this is this small town is not my, it's not me.
I don't like it, you know, Plus at the time I, my parents were,
they, they were here in California trying to get a
better life for them and the andthe family.
So they would leave us with our grandma in a little town then in

(06:11):
Michoacan. So to to back up a little bit,
do you have siblings and your mom and dad are there?
What was your home environment like?
Yeah, on my we're, you know, we're a family of nine, you
know, 5 girls, 5 girls, 4 boys and and then my mom said it was
a big family. No kidding.

(06:31):
Are you in? Are you the oldest, youngest.
Middle. 3rd youngest, OK. Third youngest, yeah.
Third youngest. And so.
Yeah, well. What was that like with all
those kids? I mean, was there enough
supervision? And I mean, what, what were you
guys getting into? Yeah, I mean, it was some of
those. The oldest would come with my
parents to California with a visa and then which it was very

(06:55):
hard to get a visa green card. It took years to get.
A lot of people say how come youdon't apply become legal?
What how come you don't go through the legal system?
I don't understand. You're trying to skip the line.
You're trying, you're not doing right.
It's not that that it takes money and years to get a visa,
even though we're neighbors and we're so we're kind of a family

(07:19):
because we kind of our history is kind of a very close, you
know. You're talking about America and
Mexico. America and Mexico, the
relationship should be closer, but so even though we're
neighbors and and there were some, you know, states were part
of Mexico and blah blah, blah, politically, I don't know how

(07:41):
that work out if it was sold or taken, I don't know nothing.
I wasn't there. But anyways, at least it should
have been easier since you're your neighbor and you guys been
working together or dealing together for so long that it
should have been easier. But you know, to us it took us
5867 years. Wow, no more like.

(08:01):
Five years, so you understand why people would just do it
illegally. So a lot of people, they just,
yes. I I understand too.
I'd I'd do it the first chance Icould, yeah.
You know, and I'm, I will not even do it.
I would do it to any country, you know, I would find my my
dream and a better life. If it was, what do you call it?

(08:24):
It could have been England, it could have been Canada, it could
have been France. I didn't care.
I'm going to go. And I think human beings
supposed to do that. They supposed to fly and and
find their their dreams anywherein the world.
Where? How do you think they start with
that? Maybe first I how did you start?

(08:46):
Did you pick where you wanted tolive first?
Did you know you wanted to open restaurants?
How does one start the path of finding what their dream is?
You know, since I was very little, you know, I was lacking
a little bit of money and buyingwhat I needed, a soda, candy or
whatever. And I noticed that people that
had a business they had, they were buying and selling at the

(09:07):
same time. They would have supplies, they
would have merchandise in their store, little stores, home and
pop stores. I was like, man, I want to be a
businessman when I will grow up.I want to have my own business.
I want stuff. I want I want to do that.
And then they sometimes they go on vacation.
I never been on a vacation. I would, I would.
So I was about four or five, five years old when I was

(09:28):
thinking that way. Wow, thinking like an adult at
4:00 and 5:00. I was already going through, I
was already going through some baby stuff in life, like what
teachings, you know, you know, you know, I mean the way money
worked, the way family, the way if you're not close to your
family, somebody's not watching your mom or dad, things could

(09:51):
happen, you know, OK, things could happen.
So so it taught me, you know, another, you can get bullied,
somebody can beat you, you know,beat you up, use you in
different ways. So when you know that your mom
and dad are not around very close to you, you know, so I
went through that and I didn't like it.
You know, I didn't like it. Then I spent a lot of many

(10:14):
years. So I would go to a river in my
little town and thing and I would and I was, I was, I think
I was and depression or close tobe falling into a depression
that I that I would look at the the far away, you know, valley
or the mountains. And I go, Oh, that's where my
family is, You know, that's where my mom and dad is.

(10:36):
I would love to go and I would see a small plane going through
that. I was like, that's Anna.
That's probably the US on the other side of that valley or or
that mountains. And your parents were already
there. They were in California and I
was in that little town in Michoacan.
Who is watching you? My older brothers, my older

(10:56):
sisters and my aunt and my grandma.
My grandma was staying all the time.
Beautiful, great lady, lot of knowledge.
And then my, my aunt, she was like, like a man, I mean,
handling all that the guy stuff from the house because there
were no men adults in the house.So we were, there were about 4-5

(11:18):
of us living with our grandma. Nice house, you know, we will
eat good. But, but at the end of the day,
we're still missing a little bitof, you know, who's going to buy
you the soda? Who's going to buy you the
little candy? And, and and it's so important
to give that kid love, you know,your family love attention and,
and, and because and the needs and guidance.

(11:39):
And then what do you? I would love to have a burger
right now. I would love to have a Taco.
I would love, OK, maybe Friday Ican get it for you.
I don't have the money right now, but Friday I'll buy you a
pop and a piece of bread, you know?
Yeah, things like that were that.
I think I kind of did have that I I was eating good, you know,
good, nice house eating my 3 meals great, different, many was

(12:01):
great, beautiful, you know, homemade.
Everything was homemade and but I was still missing, you know,
my, my, the level and, and the of my mom and dad.
Of course they weren't around. They were, of course, they were
fighting for their the dream in California, working in the
farms, in the fields, you know, picking Peaches, picking apples,

(12:22):
olives. Was the plan to bring you guys
over? I'm sorry.
Yeah, it was, that was the plan.Yeah.
So they started, they, they, they put in the, all the
paperwork through the American Embassy.
So you go through, you put in your application and then you
just check and check and wait for a mail and then.
Tell me about that. So I'm not familiar with that

(12:44):
process. So you basically, OK, I want to
go to America, you have to go tothe embassy and then fill out.
What does it look like once you get to the embassy and you say I
want to go to America? Well, yeah, you say.
You go there, you take your family, whoever you know,
whoever meets a green card or a visa, and then you just have

(13:05):
like to apply for, you know, my kids and meet or get a visa or a
green card. And then they go, OK, so you
fill out a list paperwork and then you and then and then they
you get interviews. OK.
And it takes months and years, the interviews.
And they go on the whole time, yeah.
What kind of stuff do they? Ask Are they trying to figure
out what you're going to do overhere?

(13:27):
Or yeah, they ask what what? What are you going to do?
I was like, I'll just work. I want a better life.
I go. And then I remember one worker
from the Rep, from the embassy, he told us this is a beautiful
country, Mexico. What are you want to do in the
US? What?
What I was like, yeah, it's beautiful.
I mean, I mean, it's a beautifulcountry, beautiful weather, but

(13:49):
there's no opportunities. I mean, you're getting paid $510
something like that, I'm not sure.
So hard work alone won't get youto a better life in Mexico
because there's no opportunity. Yes, only the rich and the
middle class can survive. That's unique to America.
If you come here and you work hard for the most part of you're
going to build a better life. And, you know, there's

(14:10):
situations where that doesn't apply.
But in general, I think we're kind of the coolest country for
that. You know, if you're willing to
work, you're going to progress yourself.
It sounds like that wasn't there.
Yeah, no, no, Here you got beautiful schools that we don't
appreciate a lot of times. I remember the first time I,
when I, I finally came, I, you know, and I, I was dreaming of

(14:31):
coming here. You know, I was like, I came
here when I was months old, but they took me back because of my
visa. They left me over there and
maybe because I was a baby, a month old and they told me I was
like, I have to work. So maybe that way I don't have
to worry about our babysitter. So they left me with my older
sisters and my grandma and, but,and then finally when they got

(14:55):
all my legal stuff, my green card done, I was so excited.
I was like, wow, this is beautiful.
I even remember we drove back and I got on the my the truck
GMC truck green that my dad had and I got on the back of the
track. I was I'm ready.
Let's go, you know, let's get the road.
Let's get out of here. So I was very excited to leave

(15:17):
my, my, my, even though I loved it.
I was born there, my grandma andall, but there was no
opportunity to see that it wasn't for being how old.
Were you when you left? 70 years old.
OK, Yeah. Wow, already excited.
And you were. You knew you were going to come
to California. Yes, yes.
To the northern part of California, in Greeley,
California by live up in your city.

(15:37):
Yeah, yeah. By the way, I love that area.
I just love it. It's just that's like my first
home or my second home, I don't know.
But I just so it's so it means so much to me.
You know, the people, the town, everything about it.
And I remember the first time I I got there, I thought it was in
heaven, you know, I was like, Ohmy God, this is it's so green.

(15:59):
Beautiful trees, beautiful lawns.
The schools are beautiful. You know, lunch.
They give, they feed you here, they feed you, you know, they
treat you with respect. You know, they, they, the, the,
the, the, the classrooms. They got AC, they got heaters.
They give you a cookie, they give you a punch on

(16:20):
Thanksgiving, on Christmas. I go, this is, I mean, I can't,
you know, I, I, I was so excited.
I was just, but no, my English was, I didn't know English, you
know, So that was tough. I mean, I didn't know English.
It was like very hard. I just, I wanted to learn.
I wanted to blend in real hard, you know, I wanted to be friends
with John or or Trevor or or whoever.

(16:43):
I wanted to blend in, you know, Steve, you know.
Brian, Yeah, there you go. And then Brian had a, you know,
beautiful House, Beautiful car, you know, I was like, I want to
be their friend, at least man orplay with them, you know,
because, you know, I love everything about America, you
know, I really everything. It was beautiful, you know, the
land of the opportunity. And then this is the place where

(17:06):
I can conquer my dreams, you know, and, and, and, and so when
I got there, I was and, but, but, and then my parents would
Take Me Out and out of school, which I I hated it.
They will go back to Mexico trying to build a house.
They were in their mind a lot ofat that time.
I don't think Mexicans, Americans, I don't I think they
changed their mind now, but before they were said, I'm just

(17:27):
going to go to America, work real hard this, you know, get an
honest job, whatever I have to do and go back.
That was the plan for for many years for Mexican Americans.
But and then I think now it's just about my, I think my, my,

(17:47):
what do you call it? My generation?
They're like, no, we're not going back.
I mean, this is too beautiful. And, and I mean, we're already
American, you know, I mean, we're.
Like, that's right? I love this.
And I mean, you know, when I go over there, I miss hamburgers.
I miss. I miss.
I miss Brian. Yeah, I miss Brian.
I miss the schools. I miss everything.

(18:08):
Is cookies and the Yeah. My, my town, my home.
I miss that, you know, so and soI think now we, we don't think
of going back. We're like, no, this is our
home, this is our country and this is our home, you know, and
then we have to love it protected and, and, and and
supportive, you know, in any waywe can, because that's what

(18:30):
you're supposed to do when you love a country and when you love
your home. You know what I'm?
Saying. So.
So that's what you're supposed to do.
And sometimes, yeah. Because for my parents, they
were thinking of going back. Oh, yeah.
But we built a giant huge home, half a block big in Mexico, in
Mexico, huge, you know, big. It took years to finish it.

(18:52):
Finally now is there. Nobody lives.
There. Oh wow.
It's alone. I mean, it's so many homes over
there. You go to different towns and
they got this giant, massive homes.
And they're over here. And they're not there, they're
in. Yeah, I didn't know.
That and now because of the political and the OR and the
things that are going on not that it's not a very stable now

(19:15):
hopefully it'll change for everyone yeah and be peaceful,
peace and love more peace and love and insecurity.
And I think people would maybe go back.
But even though I think that I think is is this our new
country, you know this our new country because I think it

(19:36):
always been our country. I think we always, we, we were
always part of the US, you know,I mean, we, I mean, since,
since, I think since the US has started, see, even since before
we always been part of this, youknow, we always been family, you
know, or your neighbor. You know, So what were you not?

(19:57):
Yeah. What were your teenage years
like over here? Oh yeah.
What was high school like? Yeah, high school was beautiful.
I loved, I mean, I would enjoy every day and but they would
Take Me Out if you know, they will put him in school and then
maybe I would on vacations. I would work in the farms, in

(20:19):
the fields, woodland, Dixon, Yuba City, hard work, very hard
work. And and I used to hate it low
paying job, but still I love it.I would do it again really for
the pay. If if I had to just to be here
and give this opportunity, I would do it again.
I mean, anytime That's awesome. So I would, you know, my first

(20:40):
years that I was in and out. So I, it was taking me a long
time to learn English. It was taking me, I I so long.
I was and I was getting anxious.I was like, man, I would ask my
friends, how long did it took you to learn English?
Because because I would love to blend in.
I would love to communicate better, you know, and it was, it
was tough. I mean, it was you would every

(21:02):
day you, you, you kind of a you're, you're kind of like it's
hurting you. It's just the every day.
It it it just where? Where does it have the biggest?
Where is it the hardest when youdon't know socially?
Or is it interacting with businesses?
Where does it show up the most as a problem?
I'll tell you as a kid, for me was school, you know, doing my.

(21:24):
Course. Doing my reading, you know,
communicating with my teachers, not, you know, not telling my
friend Brian or, or trying to become closer to him.
And you know, say, man, my name is Julia, man, you know, I think
you're a great player. Can you show me how to play this
or whatever? I think you're great, you know,

(21:45):
maybe like me, so I can be your friend.
And then by the we have to communication, you got to have a
communication. So I was like, man, I can't wait
to learn English, but I was having a problem because they,
my parents would well, I mean, Ilove my parents.
They did their best and they thank God for them that they,
they fought, they fought for ourdreams and they and they, they

(22:05):
brought us here. You know, it wasn't pretty.
I mean, it wasn't they would take me.
I was to Haiti when they used toTake Me Out and maybe on
vacation, they used to take me to work in the fields.
But that I was there, I was, I was being taught a lesson of
life hard work, you know, hard work.
And this how you earn your honest money, you know, and,

(22:27):
and, and and, and any work is great.
You know any great. It doesn't matter how hard it is
or how much little you get paid.It's something beautiful.
What do you call it? Something it's something special
your work is. Sacred.
Yeah, that's why I work is sacred and don't abuse it.

(22:47):
Don't try to do your best because having a job pays you
the rent, your car, food, if he's your family.
I mean, what else can you ask? I mean, it's beautiful, you
know, be be grateful every day because I mean it, it is any,
any job even, you know, a low paying job is beautiful.
You got to appreciate it. Yeah, that's what I learned.

(23:09):
You know, it just it matters is it's not how much you make, it's
how you save money and what you do with it.
You know, that's what it counts.Sometimes we think, well, when I
get make big money, when I make a big salary, all, oh, I'm going
to be better, I'm going to be happier.
Not really, I don't think so. If it matters what you do with

(23:30):
it, any kind of salary, any kindof pain, what matters is your,
your home, your family, your wife, your kids and life and
your, you know that that's what those, those as long as you can
feed them and, and, and, and have a happy wife and the happy
kids, we all get along. We love each other.
That's the main thing, you know,the money and big salaries.

(23:53):
The secondary. The secondary, yeah, so.
How did you get to Super Taco? Tell tell me about.
That yeah. And then, you know, since so so
I I would move around a lot of, you know, you know, pick apples
in Washington, go pick bell Peppers and Hollister and then
from there. But there is always that dream.

(24:16):
I'm wanting to go to the city. I'm going to go to Sacramento,
LA to, to, to find my, my dream.You know, I think one day I'm
going to have a business, a better job and I, I don't want
to work in the fields on the farms, even though I really, I
think they're, they, they were a, a, a big foundation.
I think the farms of the fields gave me a lot of the foundation

(24:39):
that I needed to go on in life, you know, all that hard.
Work. You know, 110° you're out there
in the fields working or is verycold or or or or or or having a
50 lbs of apples or Peaches on your back for 8 hours and when
you're very little or older whatever I you know.
Anyone that's a lot? Of yeah, yes.

(25:01):
And so after that I was like, yeah, but I, there's a, a, a, a
better. So I'm going to go to the city,
find a better life, a better job.
So, so when I go, it's going to be LA or Sacramento.
But and then I tried to stay in LA, but, and then at that time I
asked my I, I, I tried to look for a job in Lai asked for help

(25:24):
with my family members and they said, no, right now there's no
work. I mean, I can't, I don't see, I
don't, I don't think you can find a job very soon.
So I go, OK, so at that time I had no money.
I run out of money when I got toLai was coming down from Mexico
and and something and and and then so so I had a bad situation

(25:45):
in TJ Tijuana on my way over. Here I've got a couple of those.
What happened? Well, they, I ended up in jail
for trying to cross the border with the other people that I was
so that the Mexican cops were acting as border patrols in your
own country in the, in the so they, they, they took us in

(26:06):
jail. I said, Sir, I'm a, I'm a
student. I'm a, I'm AUS citizen.
I try to say that, you know, I was kind of American.
You know, I'm here just for on vacation and everything's kind
of you. What's the problem?
And he was like, no kid, no, don't worry, in a one hour, 2
hours, you'll be OK. Your friends are, they'll
probably be there longer, but you're going to be OK.

(26:27):
Oh yeah, because I'm a I'm a student from the US and and that
didn't work. Oh no.
So they they have been there for5-6 days in jail with it was a
very so they I I used all my money I somehow to.
Like try to bribe them and stuff, yeah.
Yeah. And then on food, I was buying

(26:48):
my food and food for me and for others.
And and then I gave some of the money to the put to a guy that
was trying maybe help us get outof jail.
And then once I got out of jail,we all did the the cuts.
The cops stopped us about a block a block away.

(27:08):
They stopped us again. That's all.
I was sorry. You know, I only got 60 bucks
left, man. Can you please just give me
enough to get to LA? You know, you can keep the rest
of my money. Please, you know, let us go.
And then I go. OK, OK.
That that's cool. Yeah.
So that sounds like a good deal.So I I give him and, and then I,
so after that, I I look for the closest, the nearest taxi.

(27:32):
Taxi. Get a cab and go take me to the
border. Take me to the US.
OK, so they let you keep enough to get there?
Yeah, so I got enough to get to LA, then from there try to get a
job then. That's why I told my relative to
say, you know, I'm not going to go nowhere and I can't leave
your house unless you let me borrow 100 bucks to get
Sacramento. Wow.
Please let me borrow 100 bucks so I can get Sacramento.

(27:55):
And to my uncle, I got an uncle Mike.
My Guzman is one of my, you know, great uncles that helped
me. My mom's brother that he lives
here in Sacramento for years. And he's the one that say, yeah,
come over, I can help you. I know so.
So my relatives in LA let me borrow the the 100 bucks and

(28:17):
he's probably thought in his money was like, oh, I don't
think I'm going to see this hundred $150.00 again.
But I was like, no, I mean, if you let me borrow, I'll pay you
back. So anyways, he let me borrow the
money. I got into the Greyhound on the
bus in LA and came to Sacramentoand then from there and then and
I go, OK, it's going to be Sacramento.

(28:39):
It's going to be my life for it.It's going to be my home
forever. I don't want to move.
I don't want to. I moved a lot when I was little,
when I was growing up and I, I, it wasn't a great, a great thing
because it's like a, you can't plant your roots.
You know, it's like a tree that,you know, if you plant a tree
and if you keep moving, that tree of that plant is never

(29:01):
going to lay down the, you know,the roots.
It's not going to grow, not going to do anything.
What was that like? You just don't don't feel secure
or how does that feel? Well, I didn't move a lot, so I
don't I. Don't Oh, when when you move.
We used to move I've. Heard this a lot of states.
Yeah, we were migrant workers, OK, you know, of farmers that we
used to move to. You don't pick, you know the one

(29:22):
see, because all in the seasons when the, you know, when the
when the Apple's ready, you're going to pick the apple before
that you go over there and thin it out that we can grow.
So there's different seasons foran apple tree or a Peach tree.
So, So what I, so I go, I'm not going to move ever again with my
parents used to move, you know, or take me back to Mexi.

(29:44):
Once I get to Sacramento is going to be, I'm not going to
move. I'm going to live there.
I'm going to raise my kids, my family, I'm going to get
married. And that's what I did.
And that's what I'm still, thankGod I'm still here.
And so, and then, so when I got here to Sacramento, I, I, I
couldn't find a job and I even paid an agency to find me a job.
I couldn't find a job. So finally, through the help of

(30:05):
my uncle Mike Guzman, he his sonwas one or no before that, I I
was working at a lumber yard on 14th and power in and that was
very hard. I mean, that was in the sun hard
work. We were cutting make enough.
It was wood for fences was a fence company.

(30:26):
And and then after that I go I'mgoing to get a job with my
cousin over there in Orange. What do you call it?
A orange by what Ave. and what Ave. and 80, right.
Yeah, Yeah. So that.
And then I, I got me a job there.
I finally saw I I, I so from thelumber yard, I went to the work

(30:51):
at a warehouse with my cousin. Thank God he gave me a job.
You know that company where he was working and he was the
supervisor there. Bob, Bob Guzman, that's his
name. And then and then so I lasted
there for five years. But before that I was like, I
want, I think I'm getting ready.I was, I was, I was 23 when I

(31:13):
first opened Super Taco. But, but I was thinking my dream
and my thoughts and my plans were before that, you know, I
was planning, I was waiting. So I was saving money and saving
money. I had a so go, OK, what is it
going to be? You know, it's going to be a
restaurant is going to be auto parts or what's going to be, you
know, selling, But I knew it. I don't care.

(31:35):
I just want to be I just want tobe self-employed.
I want to have my own company because I see that I don't think
by working by someone else. Well, it depends what kind of
job it is. You know, I would do warehouse
work. I mean, that's not, it's not the
same as working for being an engineer or, or a technical
technician or whatever. So I was on the lowest you could

(32:00):
find, I mean the lowest. What do you call that levels of
employment? Totem pole.
No, I, I, I know what you're talking about.
You know the hierarchy. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And so, so I was like, I got to have open a business.
I got to open a business and then and and then my sisters
were all, they were working for a company and they were doing
real good. They were learning a lot.

(32:21):
They, they knew how to run the back of the restaurant, the
front of the right. It was a real small restaurant,
maybe about 14 square feet restaurant, fourteen 1400 square
feet restaurant. But they used to do good
business and they were so soundslike, you know what I think.
And that plus a lot of Mexicans,Americans there were, there
were, or a lot of migrant, migrant Mexicans.

(32:43):
They, they had businesses and they all were restaurants, a lot
of restaurants and a lot of carnicerias, which is a meat
shop, you know, sounds like, well, I'm not a meat guy for
sure. I'm not a, I'm not a butcher or
a meat guy. So I don't have no.
So I think I love food and I think it's going to be a
restaurant for a, for a long time.
I was like, I think my only the,the, I think the, the business

(33:09):
that is closer that I can maybe get into is a restaurant.
So, and then my sisters were working there.
I go, OK, so I told me, you know, if I open a restaurant,
will you guys help me? Will you guys be my partners?
And they agreed. They go, yeah, let us know and I
so I go, OK. And then so I got me a loan at
Golden One over there on Freeport, still there.
I think Freeport and Florin, we went over there, we put down our

(33:32):
whole family home, that I was one of the owners and my
sisters. As collateral.
For the for the to open the 1st Super Taco.
How much was the loan? That loan was 17 thousand, 1717
thousand. And then, but I already had, I
always been good and saving money, you know, I mean, because
I was, that's the only way I seethat.

(33:53):
Yeah, save money and then hold on to even if you feel that you
want to buy a brand new car or you want to buy clothes and, and
eat out of, you know, spend money on the weekend, you know,
and I was like, I can't do that.So my main thing was save, save,
save. And I would, I would go out on a
low budget, you know, basically.So I had a lot of money saved

(34:15):
up. I had about 20-30 thousand saved
up and I was making that's. Impressive.
And I was wow. And I was only making 6-7 bucks
an hour. Damn.
Yeah. And then with that salary,
that's why I'm telling you. I mean, when you want something
that's crazy, can do it. And and it doesn't matter the
salary. That's what I tell people.

(34:35):
What what do you think the key was?
How did how did you possibly save that much money?
Yeah, like at that age. Yeah, the key was just my budget
was maybe $0.50 to spend gas money, get to work, don't miss a
day. Out of work?
Don't miss. Not even a day.
OK. When you miss a day, you're

(34:56):
getting paid for it, You use it,use your vacation time.
That that was kind of my secret.Use my whatever the company
offer me a sick leave or vacation time.
That's the only time I would take off.
I would never take an if I wanted my check because I go at
the end of the day. If I miss a day or two, who's
going to pay? I mean, who's going to be short

(35:17):
of money? Me.
It's not the company. I mean, they can get another
employee to replace me, but I'm the my check is is already very
little. So if I missed a day or two,
it's going to be even smaller. So that was my way of thinking
since I was very little so I would so I would not miss a day

(35:37):
sounds. Like you made a budget, yes.
So you you made a very strict budget and you just didn't break
it. Yes.
So I kept that for years. So I would spend, I'll say about
$0.50 just I would, I would bring my own lunch to work and
then that was one of my secrets.And then the only $0.50 I would
spend it was I'm on a Pepsi machine on the soda machine for

(36:00):
us to get my soda pop nice and cold because I don't like, you
know, when it's not very cold, Idon't enjoy it.
So it was the $0.50 for my soda and that was it.
And like gas money and like gas me and, and I would do my own
lunch. My own lunch came from leftovers
from the day before. So my mom would pack that up or
when my mom wasn't around, I would do it myself.

(36:20):
What about fun? Did you do any like spend money
for fun or buy nice clothes or anything or just skip all that I
did. No, I did.
I, I would, I would go shopping every six months, OK, maybe
every six months or a year. I would go to the mall flooring
mall when it was around on a flooring road and or it was
sunrise mall where I would I would shop.

(36:43):
So so I would just buy whatever I I liked, you know, but it was
every six months. I will not go to the mall very
often. OK, that's for sure.
All right, But but then I alwayswhatever.
I really I would only buy thingsthat really caught my attention
or felt something for that. A nice jacket or a nice

(37:07):
sweatpants, you know nice a tshirt or a shirt, dress shirt.
I would only buy it only if it would fit me first of all, and
then if if it kind of looked good at me and and if I really
liked it all. Yeah, you had an emotional
connection. Yeah, if I have some connection,
that was the only time I would buy things.
Yeah, Sorry I derailed you. So you you got the loan.

(37:28):
That's amazing. You save that much money on that
little income. And so you were 23, you got the
loan for 17,000. You had your own money saved.
Yeah. Did you know it?
Yeah. Tell me start.
That, and then from there I got that, you know, I got that loan,
you know, and then, then, so I was like, OK, well, before that
I, I, I looked for a spot to, tosign a lease with where am I

(37:49):
going to open the, the business?So I found by where I lived,
where we used to live on Mack Rd. it was LC macro turns to LC
once you cross 99. So I found a shopping center,
Valley Max shopping center and there was an empty spot.
There used to be a deli, Jake's Deli, and then I actually years

(38:11):
later, I got to meet that original owner.
I go thank you for for leaving me that spot.
Thanks to you, you know, build super Taco on that.
So he left tables, chairs, the set of the lay.
I was there, but there was no hood system because he used to
be a deli. So I was like, that was like
where all my money went basically permits and the hood

(38:34):
and the hood system. That's so funny.
So Taro arrived from Mikuni. He talked about the hood system,
too. This this expensive thing.
He didn't really know what to do.
He got taken advantage of. And yeah, so that's interesting
that you ran into the same issues with this hood.
The hood system, that's not a lot like that's the main part of
the restaurant. That's the main thing, you know,
that's the most expensive and harder and the main thing if a

(38:56):
restaurant you want to move into, for anybody who wants to
open a business, make sure there's a hood system, OK, you
know, and then with that tables and chairs, you can easily buy
them, I mean, and that paint, you know, paint job, you can do
it yourself. Yeah, is find some chairs and
tables, use ones or somebody will give it to you or, or I
mean, used ones are very cheap. You go in there and get some

(39:18):
used furniture, put a paint on the walls and as long as you
have a hood system and there it is, there's your business.
You can start with a good menu, with a good, you know, with a,
with passion, with all out. You put in everything, all your
time and money in there, you know, and, and then, and then I,
you know, you, you probably got a good chance of making it.

(39:39):
But anyways, once I got the loan, I found a spot.
You see, it was a daily going back to how I opened Super Taco
started. I found this spot and then I and
I go, OK, this is the spot. You know, small is good.
He got the So I call the landlord and go, hey, you know,
I would like to talk to you about a lease.
I want to like to sign it and go, yeah, sure, let's talk and

(40:01):
no experience 23 years old, but I just I go, I got to do it.
I mean, I I should have gotten some little bit of maybe.
I should have hired somebody to help me negotiate the lease
consultant legal or or some legal, somebody that had
experience doing that leases yousometimes that you could take

(40:21):
it, the landlord would take advantage of you if you're not
careful. That time, my deal wasn't that
bad. I mean, I think it was not, not,
not it was average, you know, itwasn't that bad.
But I think you do better when you find the right person to
help you. You know, negotiated lease.
It's very important guys, whoever wants to open a

(40:42):
restaurant or a business, make sure you find the right people
to help you, professionals to help you do the lease.
Lawyers and stuff. Yes, because it takes, I mean,
that's where most of the money, I mean, a big check of your
sales are going to go to the lease, you know, so just that a
good, you know, that advice, I'dgive it to any future, you know,

(41:04):
business people, but and then and then wait and they're going
back to my story. I open super and then we hope I
found a spot. I talked, I signed a lease and I
go, OK, the name. What what kind of name should I
what am I going to name this place?
And then and then I noticed thata lot of a lot of my Latino or

(41:27):
Hispanic or Mexican, my people was was they will name their
names there. They will put their last name
or, or name of the town. But it was kind of hard to
pronounce to say or to remember.How is the customer?
I got to find a name that customer that connects with a
customer that is easy to remember.

(41:48):
I go, what am I going to do? It has to be an easy game
because a lot of times we put don't I don't think it for the
people that is listening, you know, try to find names that are
people will remember and they stick to your to to you.
You know, that that hard names to say something.
I mean people, I mean, they're going to not even remember the

(42:10):
name because it was so hard to say, especially with if it's not
American or English name, you know, so, so I, I said, I'm
going to call it super Taco, super Taco and then in Spanish
is super Taco. So I was like in both ways.
You can say it easy. Super Taco, super Taco.
So I, I, I'd made this, which I'm going to bring it back.

(42:31):
I did like a mascot or a little little Taco with a Cape, which
I'll probably bring it back or bring another one back in, in
the future, near future where I just created a Taco with a Cape
and you know, just to connect with the name Super Taco, you
know, So, and that, so that's what I, I, I called super I, I

(42:53):
go, well, how come you call thisSuper Taco?
And me, I just thought of opening one location, a small
shop and and that's it. I've never thought of having 5
restaurants like I do. Now and 100 employees and 100.
Employees, I mean. So I never that wasn't the plan,
but anyway, since then, so I found the name.
I found the name and then no experience, but just my sisters

(43:13):
and my two sisters, Ileana and Maria.
There was a lot of great people,beautiful sisters and there was
a lot of very smart, hard working people, honest and, and,
and thanks to them, with their support, they, they helped me
create that dream. You know, the Super Taco and,
and the first, the first three years, 3-4 years was very hard.

(43:35):
No customers. That's what you know, we, we in
super, we try to, we do our bestto, to take care of our customer
and to really appreciate our customers because you've got to
love your customer and treat them right every day, every
time, because they're the ones that are going to make you or
break you. They're going to make you
successful or not successful. They're going to get you a
vacation or no vacation. So it depends on how you treat

(43:58):
your customers and what kind of food, what kind of was the
quality and then you know, the quality of.
It's. Good food of good food, Yeah.
Good food that you're going to give them, you know, And then
so, so customer first, you know,and then so for the first three,

(44:19):
3-4 years was rough. I mean, it was tough working
from 9:00 to 9:00, Wow, getting like only two days off a month.
And so it was tough. I was getting tired like that.
Yeah, for years I did that, you know, maybe not getting even
paid. And then I I will tell my sister
as well as long as you guys, because they have more bills

(44:40):
than I did, you know, being a woman and girls that young, you
know, single. So they had a, you know, new
car, new trucks and nails, hairsand visa and going to the mall.
And so they have their their visas were kind of their bills
were higher, higher than me. A but you know, I don't care.
I go as long as you guys cover your bills.

(45:01):
Me, I got no bills, you know, because I always paid everything
cash everything paid in every cash.
I didn't really care about visa or my you know credit if credit
is kind of usually is bad, you know, especially when you don't
know how to control it so you can really get in trouble.
So be careful with the. Credit cards with credit cards.

(45:22):
Don't recommend them, you know, and then only on emergencies.
But anyways, so and then so and then I got married, you know,
and then I got I married. Did you get?
Married during that first few years when there wasn't money
and things were really hard. You did.
Wow. So she's a good woman.
She loves you. I love that.

(45:44):
Stuck you know she right away. I opened in 91 and we got
married in 94. OK, we got married in 94 and but
right away, you know, she would help me a lot of times and she
was working for Sam's Club and jack-in-the-box and going to

(46:05):
school, trying to get ahead, going to SAC City and but it was
real hard shot when she was having a hard time and plus
helping me and then and then later on go well, OK, and then
and then we got married and after we got married, I go well,
now you, you know, I'm going to,I'm going to you don't have to
quit your jobs. You know, you just come and work

(46:25):
with us. We need your help.
You're smart. You're a hard worker.
You know, I love you. I mean, we're you're my wife
now. So she goes, yeah, yeah.
I mean, I'll, I you know, I got no problem with that.
So she so she was my wife. She was another big pillar,
super Taco. She was smart, hard working

(46:46):
discipline. That's where my sons get the lot
of discipline from my wife. And then the the employees loved
her and respected her because she was, she would get dirty.
I mean, she would. They knew that the way she
worked. So the stuff she's asking them
to do, they know she's doing it.Yeah, she can do it better, the

(47:06):
same or better, you know, And she would not, she wasn't, she
wasn't very bossy. She would always likes to, you
know, do it herself, but only when she needed help.
She would, she would ask for help, but it's all the employees
would see that, that she was a leader, strong leader, leader
and not abusive, not over overdoing her, you know, abusing

(47:29):
her power, being the owner. So after the 3-4 years were
like, you know what, I told my wife, I'm going to quit.
I'm there's no money, very little money.
And I think we got to sell the, the business.
They then she said, yeah, let's do it.
So and then I go, OK, it's goingto be 20 something 1028 or
23,000. And then we found a buyer and
you can thank God the buyer was his name was Jose.

(47:52):
He was kind of slow on on by making the purchase.
He was taking his time analyzingthe area, analyzing the
business. Sometimes it's better not to
wait too long when you're going to buy a business, don't think
about it too much because you might lose an opportunity like
he did because me. And then I, I, we change our
mind. I told my wife and my wife goes,
look, wait a minute. We now I, I'm made because she

(48:14):
was like an accountant. She would take care of the bills
and everything. She was like, Julian, if we sell
the business, I don't think we make, we can make the house
payment, car payments and, and everything else.
I was like, I don't think we cango and work for 7-8 bucks an
hour and cover our bills. And I was like, Are you sure
about that? She was like, because she was
the guy, the one that would do that the, the books with

(48:37):
accountant and, and then with a bookkeeper and her and, and I
go, OK, you know, I'm going to cancel the sale.
I'm going to cancel. I'm I'm tired and all that
stuff. But if you say we're not going
to make the bills, I mean, my house, the house is everything
for me. You, I already have two kids or
one kid and you and we need a home.

(48:58):
We need, you know, so I'm not going to be what would never.
I mean me to have a home is everything to me.
You know, that's like your sacred cave is like your sacred
heaven, you know, having your own house for rent or you or
you're buying but. Especially you that you moved a
lot. This is something you really
wanted. Yeah.
So you don't wanna lose your. Home and she used to my even my

(49:20):
wife too. She, she was kind of moved
around a lot too when she was from LA, She was born in LA,
moved to Santa Cruz, moved to Yuba City.
So she went in LA, She even overthere she moved a lot too.
So she was tired of moving too, you know, so, so she was like,
so I told her, OK, hey Jose, youknow, so I called the, the buyer
ago. You know, Jose, I'm, I can't, I

(49:42):
got to cancel the sale. I don't have no debt deposited.
We haven't signed any contract, wouldn't have a contract or
nothing. You never gave me a deposit and
I'm very sorry, but I'm, I can't, you know, I'm going to
change my mind. So I cancel, I cancel the sale
and then after that, but I said,you know what?
But I'm going to do some changes.
So that's very important. What once you, there's a going,

(50:04):
not going the your way, you got to make some changes.
Really think about it. You got to try something
different because if you don't make changes, nothing changes.
Like they say, if you don't makechanges in your life, nothing
changes, right? I mean, that's true.
There's a so it's like so I saidSo what I did, I relaxed more to

(50:28):
my time and I cut down my hours two more time off and I would
just, you know, leave around 33 everyday, you know, get to work
at after the 4th year. I think I, I would, I would get
to work at 11/10/11 and leave attwo or three.

(50:51):
And before that, of course, I have to forget, you know, maybe
buy supplies, maybe buy coffee. We're rather run out of, we run
out of oil or fries or, or tortillas.
So I would go, you know, that time I would go, go deposit, go
to the bank. So whenever I wasn't in the
restaurant, I would still do some, you know, minor chores
that you don't go to the bank, go buy oil or go buy something

(51:14):
or personal. But I want, and then once I
would, I would do that, I would go home, go home, My wife and
kids play, you know, fix dinner and, and I just, I wanted that,
you know, I wanted to be with mykids and my wife.
That was like very important to me.
And so I would, you know, I would help my wife cook.
I go, if I help her, everything's going to be done

(51:36):
quicker and and then and she's going to be happier and, and,
and, and, and so I would so we would eat dinner and then go out
and play basketball, you know, and, and so that was every day.
They so, you know, it was great and I got to spend.
So that worked out that after that, after I relax and spend
more time with my family, work less, took my time relax.

(52:02):
Oh, sales started going up. Probably the economy too.
And then people started noticingme more as we started getting
more fame, you know, popular in the area, economy got better.
So sales were just doubling. It was just, it went high.
It went you know when A300300 dollars, $400.00 every month,
every 2-3 months. So I was like wow, you know, so

(52:25):
that tells you sometimes that when you have a business, you
kind of want me to relax and then relax think and, and you
have to look outside the box. You sometimes you have to get
away from your business and see the business from the outside.
You know, even if you go on vacation, that's a good thing
about going on vacation is that you take out your family, you

(52:47):
enjoy your family and, and, and they enjoy the, the vacation.
And at the same time you're relaxed and, and then you take
advantage of this beautiful life, this the ocean, the sea or
that well, the ocean, the sun orbeing with your family.
And then, and then at the same time you can look at the

(53:08):
business from far away, from theoutside, the box from the
outside. So you that that's like, OK,
what I, what changes do I need to make?
You know, am I on the right track?
Or what can I do better or how can I help my business do
better? So it's, it's, it's, it's great
to go on vacation for, like I said, to, you know, for those

(53:31):
things that so, and some people don't like to, to take time off
or spend too much time inside the business where a lot of
times it's kind of hurts the business when you're there, when
you're just in the business and don't see the business from the
outside. How does it look from the
outside? You know, your personal life and
in your business, you know, so you have to be always, am I on

(53:54):
the right track? You know, what can I do?
You always have to analyze that,you know, in your personal life,
I think, and in your business and then with your family, you
know what, how, what can we do better?
How can you know? So, so after that man, business
start growing and got a bigger and then then I go, I think we
should need, I would like to open another business, open

(54:14):
another super Taco. And then I so I went ahead and
open another super Taco, but andthen it we run into problems
where sometimes you trust peopletoo much the contractors, you
got to be careful of the contractors.
Some are great, some are bad andsome are OK.
So you always going to be. Who did you get ripped off?

(54:35):
Yeah, I got ripped off on my actually it was, it was on the
Yeah, I don't know if it was a second or third location.
I got ripped off and that almostbankrupted me out there.
Almost. I mean, it was so close of what
happened. Well, yeah, that he kind of
ripped me off. So I run out of money.
I was working on a loan. I was doing 2 restaurants at the

(54:58):
same time. I was relocating the first Super
Taco to a bigger place and I wason the same time.
I was opening a location on Calvine that grow foreign and
Calvine in Sacramento and IT andthen after, and then I hired the
same contractor for both jobs. So he tried to RIP me off.
He ripped me off on both, on both jobs.

(55:23):
You know, even though I give himwork, I gave him a job, I gave
him an opportunity for work and he just took advantage of me.
He's kind of took me in like $50,000 or just.
Overcharging you on stuff and. No, I gave him a deposit and
he'll I think that's kind of normal.
What they do, they're the ones that want to RIP you off.
They ask you for a big deposit to buy the, The Walking cooler,

(55:44):
the the, the hood system, but they go, hey, you know, I can't
order if you don't give me them,you know, so you're like, you're
kind of in stock. You're like, you're like, well,
you want to move on faster or oron time.
I need a deposit to order the hood system, the walk in fridge
and other equipment made the equipment from the kitchen and

(56:05):
that's where they get you, you know.
And so I gave him a big deposit.It was about 50,000.
And then after that he never, I don't know if he order.
And then after that he didn't show up and he didn't want to
disappear. So he took my money and then so
thank God I have two cars that they were paid off, plus I had a
loan. And so I I I did.

(56:28):
You try to find him or anything.Not really.
I tried to assume I went throughthe contractor license, I went
through the labor board and thenI, I think I don't know if I try
to get an attorney, but an attorney goes you're not going
to make you know, it's not worthit.
So I just it was, I wasn't hurt.I was, I feel like, you know,

(56:49):
like, like this guy going to getaway with it.
I just, I feel horrible that. And then I was like, you know
what, I think it's better. I was like, should I would like
to slap him? I would like to, you know, punch
him, you know, but and then whatis that going to do?
You know, and, and I go, you know what, let's forget about
it, forget about it. I mean, forget about what
happened. Should be more careful in the

(57:10):
future and just keep on fighting.
Keep on fighting and and then keep working.
Keep working. Yeah.
And then I just forget about your bad experience, your bad
mood. What happened?
And then so I I sold my cars, I stole whatever I had to open
those locations. They're already.
They were already. Oh, wow.

(57:31):
OK. So you you started working on
new locations, got ripped off all your money, so then you
started selling things to finishthe location.
My personal stuff. Oh my gosh.
And plus with a loan, yeah. And then I got a mortgage, you
know, I got a second loan on theHouse, on my house that I was.
And so I run out of after that. And then I somehow I made it.
I opened all locations and thankGod to my customers and the

(57:55):
community, you know, in Sacramento, in my area that
since the beginning, it was justthey started working, they start
paying, supporting itself. At least that's why you want in
the business the first, you know, year or two, so at least
pay the bills, pay the employee,play your lease, pay your
supplies and, and, and, and, andthank God that, you know, it

(58:16):
happened. Then after that I moved on.
It was doing great. And then so I open another
location. OK, let me after my third, I
don't think I wanted to open more locations.
I was like, you know, this is getting too big for me.
I need more. I need a better, I need a
better. We need a better team.

(58:36):
I need I need to I think we're missing piece of the puzzle.
Basically, we need more professional help.
We need professional help, people with experience to come
in and help me with a business, maybe manager with a lot of
experience that worked in a restaurants before.
So and I was, I don't want to grow, but, and then this

(58:59):
gentleman came to macro where I was working on, Hey, Julian, I,
I got a, you know, an offer for you, you know, can you, I got 5
restaurants for sale and I'll sell you the real estate.
And I was like, well, sounds real good.
I kind of want to, and I'll giveyou the loan.
You know it'll be owner, it'll be seller, lender or what do you

(59:20):
call that center? I know what you're talking
about. I don't know yeah, but where the
he was going to finance the the the purchase, you know this this
gentleman and then that's all. OK, let me look at 1:00.
But you know, I don't want to grow.
I don't have the systems, I don't have the the team to to
open more locations and and thatyou got to be careful on that.

(59:42):
I think when you want to grow ina business, you want to grow,
but do it the right way, you know, have it be ready if you're
going to help in more businesses, be ready for the
team, the expertise, the systems.
Otherwise don't do it because it'll be just you'll be just
spending, you know, it'll be just more work and more

(01:00:04):
headaches and more stress. So, so you want to grow the
right way. Don't, don't, don't grow too
fast. And unless you're ready, you
know, with the team and the systems.
And like I said, and then so, but anyways, going back to that
gentleman, they said. Hey, you know, why don't you
open your third or fourth? It was, I don't know if it was
my third or fourth location. It was my fourth location.
And he said, I go, OK, I'll lookat it.

(01:00:26):
And then when I went over there to see it on Franklin and in
Florin, I go, OK, you know what I really like it is it got a lot
of potential. Yeah, let's buy it.
I'll buy it from you. And then he goes, hey, I'll
finance the the land, the real estate and everything.
You can have whatever's in the inside the building.
OK, so we signed, we did, we went through title, through a
title company and we and and andwe bought the the well, we're

(01:00:51):
still paying for the the building up to this day.
But yeah, so that's how I ended up with my 4th and then my and
then the fifth. It was another thing that it was
close to my house. Small investment.
Let's do it. And now do you want to grow it?
We did it anyways. But but what I recommend is not,
you know, don't grow, don't try to what do you call it do too

(01:01:17):
much if you're if you're not ready.
Yeah, yeah, yes. And then my wife, all that time
she was there, she helped me build the, you know, the, the
business. But now she's like, I don't want
to, I don't want to put a lot oftime.
I want to kind of retire and relax more because I'm in a, you
know, business is kind of very. Oh yeah, for sure.
Very tough. And this is, it's kind of takes,

(01:01:43):
it's stressful a lot, a lot of you, you got to be thinking of
many things every day. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Wow. So what, what are you excited
about now in life? What?
What are you looking at the nextphase?
You know, the maybe now, maybe right now, maybe hopefully my

(01:02:03):
sons can take over the business or buy me out or, or maybe take
over the business and that way Ican maybe be, you know, kind of
work, but it was from home or. Slow down a little.
Bit slow down work part time andand maybe find other find other

(01:02:29):
business opportunities, maybe get into real estate, maybe
open, you know, a different model of super Taco, you know, a
different model, different name maybe too.
I would or and then try that. But I, you know, on my own pace,
don't have a, you know, have a good time, Enjoy, enjoy

(01:02:53):
everyday, you know, just so I'm looking for a new position
basically now and I want to enjoy it more.
And I and I want to be less hands on in the business.
Yeah. More like work from home, work
part time, have fun, be, you know, don't be, don't feel under
a lot of pressure from managing all those employees and the five

(01:03:14):
restaurants, you know. Yeah, yeah.
What would you say to young men like life advice there went when
they're becoming men? You know, be, you know, young
people. I mean just fight for your, I
mean, go for your dreams, find something you like and enjoy and

(01:03:37):
and and and and work on that. Don't be a follower.
Don't be a follower. Do your own thing.
Take advice, listen more than what you say.
Listen always love, respect, listen to everyone good, you

(01:03:59):
know, always be ready, always listen to good at you know,
advice. Some is good, some is not that
good, but always listen and and have a dream and dream every day
what you want to do where you want to be, because you know,
and then you'll conquer whateveryou want to do.
It takes a lot of hard work, dedication.

(01:04:19):
I mean, you can't just dream andnot do anything.
You have to dream and take action, you know, every day.
You can't just you know, I mean,like I said, you know, don't
just say I want to be, I want tobe a great athlete.
I want to have a great business and not don't take no action,
don't do nothing about it. No, it takes you got to listen

(01:04:40):
to people, you got to talk to people.
You got to follow those people that are in that what your dream
is about. Listen to them.
Get close to the get close to your dreams, get close to the
whatever you want to do in life,you know, from far away, you're
not going to get in is not goingto happen from far away and not

(01:05:03):
taking action is not going to happen.
But I think everything's possible.
You can do whatever you want in,in in the world, you know, I
mean, whatever you want in life,you can do it.
You can do it, but just takes hard work, dedication and, and
taking advice and be humble. Don't think you're a big shot.
You know, I mean, love everyone,respect everyone and, and then

(01:05:28):
keep God with you, You know, youknow, read the Bible, you know,
always keep God in your, in yourheart and in your mind.
And and then because he'll, he'll teaches, you know, how to
run a business, how to be a better person.
So always keep God in your, in your, in your, in your heart and
in your mind. Yeah, that that that would be my

(01:05:51):
advice. And and and yeah, to and
anything's possible. You can do it.
You can do it, you know, anybody, I mean, because, I
mean, it doesn't matter who you are, you know, I mean, you going
through problems, you going through, you know, in life right
now, but it'll get better. But you have to take action.

(01:06:13):
But you got to if you're not happy where you are, you got to
move on. Look, you know, find a different
Rd. different path, you know, you know, get a job, work hard,
go to school, find a place to stay and and and and do good to
people. If you and don't burn people

(01:06:34):
don't gain trust with people. You know, you know your
landlord, your, your, your boss,your friend, your family, you
know, make them trust you. If you don't do that, if you do
the wrong thing, if they don't trust you, how are you going to
you're not going to get nowhere.You know you can't.
Nobody's going to lend your car.Nobody was going to want to lend

(01:06:54):
you a hand or or let you stay attheir home or their if you're
they can't trust. You.
And you, you don't even have a job, can't even get a job.
You can, but you don't want to put in the time or you don't
want to work, work for, you know, walk a mile, 2 miles, you
know, Yeah. I mean, you have to be no pain,

(01:07:15):
no gain. You everything takes, you know,
hard work and and you got to be hungry and do whatever it takes
to get to your goals and and andand and and then live a good
life, peaceful life, loving life.
And anything's possible. That's what I would, you know, I
don't know. I, I think I told him too many

(01:07:35):
things, but it was all the thingthat's great.
All those good things that I that I did, you know that, that,
that, that, you know that I see that I try to do it and I and I
try to stay on that path, yeah. Yeah, thanks for coming on
today. Yeah, Appreciate you, Shannon.
Thank. You for your invitation, you
know, thank you for being here. I mean, it was a very grateful

(01:07:56):
to be here with Trevor and thankyou for this great thing that
you have going on. Here is podcast and I'm very
happy to be here. Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for your time. It's good to meet you man.
Yeah, same here. Pleasure.