We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sharon Haynes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sharon, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
I felt that Houstonians had an insatiable appetite for Tex-Mex food. We eat it morning, noon and night! So when I considered opening a small restaurant in Midtown Houston on one of the city’s most eclectic blocks, a taqueria with a funky twist seemed the perfect fit. I wanted to create a fun space that played Johnny Cash and served breakfast tacos all day. And I knew just the chef to help me: I met Maribel Gomez while working on my first restaurant and she helped me create a menu, train the back-of-house team for a week before returning to her well-paying job of managing a restaurant.
Over the years, I remained in contract with Maribel and was able to call on her for any thing I needed help with, from tweaking a recipe, to finding cooks to adding new menu items. It was not until I was fully established with 2 locations that I was able to bring on Maribel as a full-time partner and manager. Together, with mutual love and respect, we have worked over the past 18 years to operate and improve our business every day.
Sharon, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Together, we have over 60 years of restaurant experience. We genuinely care about our customers’ experiences each and every time they dine with us and fully respect the idea of being in service of others. Maribel is a bit like an Italian grandmother, or a Mexican abuelita for that matter, who shares her love with others through food. SHe began cooking in Mexico when she was 6 years old and learned everything she knows from her father. She has an intense knowledge of Mexican peppers and spices and a deep understanding of the varied food from her country.
Our goal has always been to provide a space in the hustling city of Houston that feels like a break from reality in one’s hectic day. The colors are vibrant, the music is fun, the food is full of spice, heart and soul.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
In this business, the most important things are making good food, sold at reasonable prices. But more important than all of that is consistency. Customers need to know that they will get the same thing, cooked and seasoned the same way, that keeps them coming back to the business.
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
Our first location was the antithesis of what a Houston restaurant should be: small, barely visible to cars passing by, no quick and accessible parking, very little signage. By all accounts, this little taco shop should have failed. In the beginning, I worked as a cashier, with one cook, waiting for customers to come in, and all the while spending hours trying to calculate how much I would have to sell to “make it” – my estimation was $700/week!
So the “near death” experience happened for more than my first 12 months of operation. But slowly and steadily, people found us and tried us and kept coming back for more. As I mentioned before, we built the business with good food, at reasonable prices that is consistent. So people told their friends and family and, with time, we have managed to open 5 locations in the Houston area. And we remain grateful to all of our hard-working employees and all of our dedicated customers who have kept us in business for so long.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tacosagogo.com
- Instagram: @tacosagogo
- Facebook: @tacosagogo
- Twitter: @tacosagogo
- Yelp: Tacos A Go Go
Image Credits
#1 and #6 – Ling Wang
#2 and #3 – Andy Hemingway
#4 – Becca Wright
#5 – Dylan McEwan