Today we’d like to introduce you to David Posadas.
David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been working in the food industry for over 20 years. My first job was scraping dishes at my uncle’s restaurant, that is where I learned my first lesson in restaurant management, I was very young, my uncle told me “scraping dishes, you can see what people don’t like and let the kitchen know your findings so they can make corrections” I remember it clearly. I eventually work my way up to restaurant manager and work for bigger corporations. I’m always looking for the next level, If I’m working somewhere and not learning anything I feel the need to go look for something more challenging.
When I open Taco Crave on April 2014, I was working a management position with a very comfortable salary, I remember people telling me I was crazy for leaving a good job with a nice salary for something that was not sure it was going to work. To what I responded if I don’t do it now, I will never know if it is going to work or not.
I had no choice but to make it work, failure was not an option, so I didn’t even contemplate to fail.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it has been very difficult.
In the beginning, it was very exciting, I was in control of what I was doing, I was building my dream, everything looked good on paper, it looks like it is going to work out great.
Then, when I open the door, that’s when the honeymoon period started, in the restaurant industry this is what we called the first two months, everyone wants to try the new place out, I felt like it was going to be an overnight success story.
After the honeymoon period sales started to drop. I started to work shifts of 100 hours a week trying to save on labor, bills start to pile up, it starts to take a toll on your family and friends. That’s when you wonder if it’s going to work, how long before you pull the plug, those questions start to come out. What you know to work in the past is not working anymore.
Then, you have a few good days in the mix, your customers tell you that you have awesome food and thank you for it, that is really what keeps you going.
Right now, we are steadily getting busier, the word is getting out and we started catering events, it’s been four years and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, all we need to do is execute right, be consistent and provide excellent customer service.
Going from a comfortable salary to no salary is very difficult, you have to change your life to adjust to the change. I know it’s very tempting to go back to the comfort of the salary, but I also know that comfort zones lead you nowhere.
Taco Crave – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Taco Crave was born from the craving for authentic Mexico street-style tacos, we specialize in street and homemade flavors. From the flavors that we miss from the taco stands that we used to visit, to the cooking at mother’s and grandma’s house. All those dishes that bring back memories from home we have them here at Taco Crave.
We recreate those flavors to taste exactly the same as if you were in Mexico. Our food you won’t find in any Mexican restaurant here or in Mexico, but instead at someone’s house or the taco stands on the streets of Monterrey Mexico.
What sets us apart from others is our staff and our hospitality, we want to make sure our guests leave craving for more and with a smile on their faces.
From the samples of our food that helps them make a decision, to making our food the way they want it, to remembering their names and their favorite flavors all these factors are what sets us apart.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of having success is when you do something you like a lot and can make a living doing it. In my restaurant the markers I look for are small, for example, 5-star reviews each one is a success, we strive to make every guest have the best experience. We try to book at least one event per week, those are little goals that we set for ourselves that will make us successful just by meeting them. things like that add up. I believe in having a lot of little successes that add up to a big success.
Contact Info:
- Address: Taco Crave
308 N. Main St
Bryan TX 77803 - Website: www.tacocrave.net
- Phone: (979) 485-5460
- Email: tacocravebcs@outlook.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacocrave/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tacocravebcs/
Image Credit:
Taco Crave Team, David Posadas
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