It’s a restaurant marketer’s dream scenario: The Vice President of the United States shows up unsolicited to check out your concept. It makes the news and drives hordes of new customers to check out your restaurant. Years later, guests still show up because they heard about it from the news and want to order what the Vice President had.
That exact scenario played out at Tacotarian, a Las Vegas-based fast casual that serves plant-based Mexican fare. Vice President Kamala Harris showed up in 2021 on the recommendation of Senator Cory Booker, and the buzz it generated continues to reverberate. But Vice President Harris isn’t the only high-profile guest to put Tacotarian on the map; celebrities like Chelsea Handler, Carlos Santana, and Steve Aoki have likewise shared their love for the brand, which has five locations between Las Vegas and San Diego.
Now the four cofounders of Tacotarian — Carlos and Kristen Corral plus Dan and Regina Simmons — are hoping to capitalize on that buzz and scale the concept across the country. Carlos Corral and Regina Simmons joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to share how they’ve built and maintained that buzz, plus how they’re hoping to change American’s attitudes toward vegan food.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
- The signature flavors for global cuisines are not meat-based
- Just because there’s not demand for your product doesn’t mean it won’t succeed
- The biggest hurdle for vegan food is consumer perception
- Commissaries can help you ensure consistency and efficiency
- If you want to build a buzz, start by building close community ties
- Word of mouth works wonders — especially if it’s among celebrities
- To build a successful restaurant business, start with partners you trust and a team that shares your vision
Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].
