We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gabriel Gomez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gabriel below.

Gabriel , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed

Earlier this year I was denied re-entry into the United States.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Gabriel but everyone calls me Gabe. I am the co-owner of Birrieria Toro Rojo Food Truck. I got into the food truck industry when my friend Daniel Torres came to me with the idea of selling birria. I was working in the banking industry at the time and I was ready for something new. I lived in Lynchburg, VA at the time but I was willing to commute to open the food truck in my hometown. We opened the food truck in Durham, NC in March of 2021. Our menu consists of tacos, quesatacos, quesadillas, ramen, tortas, fries, nachos, tortas, burritos, and almost anything you can think of uniquely made with Birria de Res. Before opening the food truck I had little restaurant experience but I had a thing for cooking and I was willing to learn the ropes. I learned a lot from Daniel and I’ve always felt that thanks to him I stepped out of my comfort zone. My wife who is now co-owner was there with me every step of the way. Our initial team also consisted of Esteban Torres, my two sisters Artemisa and Abby, and my cousin Lucero. In January 2022, my wife and I bought 100% ownership of the company. Birrieria Toro Rojo grew in popularity faster than we imagined. We have a strong social media presence and our food speaks for itself.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients had to be social media. When we were at 307 Foushee St. we were constantly informed how hidden we were. People could never seem to find us. We were tucked in the back of a western wear store parking lot. This meant passing traffic would rarely see us and we had to make sure we were on top of our marketing and communication with our new clients.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Our food truck was having great success in the “BULL CITY” however In June of 2022, I would travel to Mexico to advance my US Resident process. Unfortunately, I was denied re-entry into the US. My wife and I contemplated closing the food truck for good and selling it but we are both fighters and she decided to take on the challenge of running the food truck by herself. We decided to close in Durham, NC, and relocate the food truck closer to home in Lynchburg, VA. With all the challenges we have faced as a family and as a small business, we are still very excited to be able to share our story and our food with the world. I am still in Mexico awaiting my pardon waiver to come back to my job, my home, and my family.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.birrieriatororojo.com
• Instagram: birrieriatororojo
• Facebook: Birrieria Toro Rojo
• Other: Personal Instagram: gabegotdasauce Podcast: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2098337