Today we’d like to introduce you to Berenice Longoria.
Berenice, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started in 2012. Cesar (my husband) and I had just got married. We both knew we wanted our own business, Both with different ideas of business but we both knew we wanted to be our own bosses. We had the chance to purchase a taco cart downtown Fort Collins and we did. We bought it in June 2012 and opened August 9th, 2012.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Opening The Taco Stop has been one of the hardest things ever! It has not been easy. There has definitely been a lot of bumps along the way. To begin with, working with your spouse takes a lot of patience and knowing the difference between work and home. Also, being a street vendor back in 2012 was not a thing and people felt uncomfortable eating from us. It took a long time for us to get our customers. Being a food cart/food truck is very challenging specially because we depend a lot on the weather. The first two years we closed during the winter but we felt when we closed, we lost connections with our loyal customers. On the third year, we decided to stay open year-round. I’ll tell you. It is TUFF!! The wind, snow, rain are not fun. But we love what we do and love what we created and sucked it all up. Always with a smile and being the best we could for our customers.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Taco Stop – what should we know?
We are The Taco Stop, all about community a good food. We specialize in street food inspired by my husband, Cesar who is from Mexico City, Mexico. We are well known for our TACOS… and NACHOS. We make our own tortilla chips and queso for our nachos and I’ll tell you they are a hit. As The Taco Stops business owner, what I am most proud of is the consistency, patience, customer service, love and the smiles we provide to our customers. We always tell our staff this is our company. We succeed you succeed. Our customers are our top priority. We will not be here without them. This is a family-owned food truck, now restaurant and we want every person who comes in to feel welcomed and at home.
I am proud to say our mission and values have never changed since the day we opened. I feel what sets us apart from others is what I mentioned earlier. We are about community and good food. What I mean by that is- We focus on having the best quality of food, and keeping our prices affordable, We understand it gets expensive when you have children, have a budget or are without a job. We want everyone who comes to enjoy whatever they want, without having to overspend also to leave satisfied and happy. At the end of the day are a community, we The Taco Stop are here to provide the best we can at a price that you can afford and leaving you wanting more already planning your next visit.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
One of the qualities I would say has helped us succeed is not giving up, believing in ourself and our product. Food industry is not an easy thing. It takes a lot of patience, no days off and consistency.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6324 S College Ave
Fort Collins CO 80525 - Website: www.thetacostopfoco.com
- Phone: 970-281-2313
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thetacostopfoco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetacostopfoco/
- Twitter: @the_taco_stop
Image Credit:
Luz De Luna Photography
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