We recently connected with Walter Barrera and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Walter thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea for The Taco Plug was born during one of the most uncertain times in recent history COVID. Life had slowed down, everyone was stuck at home, and like a lot of people, I turned to cooking for comfort and connection. I started making meals for my buddies, just something casual and from the heart. One day I came across a video about birria tacos. I had never made them before, but I figured, why not try it? I followed the basics, but I added my own twist, my own flavor, my own style influenced by what I learned growing up in a hispanic household.

I’m a first-generation U.S. citizen, and when I was young my mom never let me run off to play until I helped in the kitchen. At the time, I didn’t always love it but that kitchen became my training ground. That’s where I learned flavor, patience, tradition, and love for food. So when I made those birria tacos, all of that came out in the dish.

When my friends tried them, they didn’t just like them they wouldn’t stop talking about them. They kept saying, “You need to sell these. People would go crazy for this.” At first, I laughed it off, but the comments kept coming. So I finally said, you know what, let me try a little test run.

I posted online, made a small batch, and the response was immediate. People showed up, the tacos sold out, and the feedback was loud and clear this wasn’t just good food; this was something special. That first day of sales felt like a spark. I saw the demand, I felt the support, and I realized there was a real opportunity to bring something unique to the area.

Why I knew it would work. There wasn’t really anyone around offering authentic birria tacos with that homemade, crafted-with-love touch. No shortcuts. No rushed flavors. I wasn’t trying to copy a trend, I was elevating it with my culture, my story, and my own twist.

I saw a gap, people were craving something new, real, flavorful, and rooted in tradition. And more importantly, I saw how much joy this food brought people. That’s what got me most excited. I wasn’t just selling tacos… I was sharing my roots, my passion, my culture and building a community around it.

From a simple video to a trial run, to now being “The Taco Plug” it all started with love for food, a childhood spent in my mom’s kitchen, and a moment during COVID that turned into a life-changing opportunity.

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?

For those who may not know me yet, my name is Walter Barrera, and I am the founder of The Taco Plug a passion-driven food business that started as a small idea during the COVID pandemic and has since become a community favorite. I’m a first-generation U.S. citizen, raised in a home where food was more than just something you eat, it was tradition, culture, love, and family. My mom made sure I learned how to cook at a young age. While my friends were outside playing, I was in the kitchen learning how to season, how to taste, how to create flavor, even if at the time I didn’t realize it was shaping my future.

I didn’t get into this industry through a traditional culinary school path. I entered it through passion, curiosity, and listening to the people around me. During COVID, like many others, I found myself spending more time cooking. One day I stumbled on a birria taco video, decided to make my own version, and before I knew it, friends were telling me, “You need to sell these.” So I took a leap, did a small pop-up run, and the response was overwhelming. From that point on, The Taco Plug was born.

What I provide:
I specialize in authentic and flavorful hispanic inspired dishes, with birria tacos being the signature item that started it all. My goal isn’t just to serve food, it’s to serve flavor, culture, and an experience. I focus on fresh ingredients, bold taste, and recipes that honor tradition while adding my own twist. Whether it’s tacos, birria ramen, or creative limited-time items, everything is made with intention and heart.

What problem I solve:
I bring authentic quality and creativity to a food landscape that sometimes gets watered down. People want real flavor. Real story. Real passion behind the food they’re eating and that’s exactly what I deliver. I give customers an experience that reminds them of genuine home-cooked meals, tradition, and culture, but with a fun, modern twist. I’m not just feeding hunger, I’m feeding craving, curiosity, and connection.

What sets me apart:
I’m not trying to be just another taco spot. I’m building a brand rooted in community, authenticity, hustle, and culture. I didn’t start this to follow a trend, I started it to share a piece of my roots, my story, and my love for food. What sets me apart is the combination of authenticity, creativity, consistency, bold flavors, and the pride I put into everything I serve. When you eat my food, you taste passion, not shortcuts.

What I’m most proud of:
I’m proud of how far this dream has come, especially considering it started with nothing more than a home kitchen, pandemic boredom, and a strong belief that great food brings people together. I’m proud of the community support, the loyal customers who share my food with friends and family, and the fact that something that started so small is growing into something meaningful.

What I want people to know:
The Taco Plug isn’t just a brand, it’s a story of culture, grind, and heart. I want people to know that when they support me, they’re supporting a dream, a first-generation journey, and a business built from pure passion. My mission is to continue growing, innovating, and bringing the community together one taco at a time. This isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my business partner, Marty May, in one of those unexpected, organic moments that you don’t realize is life-changing until later. We were connected through a mutual friend during a small get-together. I happened to be doing what I love, cooking birria tacos, something that started as a passion and slowly turned into something bigger.

Marty tried the food, and right away I could see his reaction wasn’t just the typical “these are good” compliment. He saw the potential behind it, the brand, the concept, the movement. And at the same time, I saw something in him too. Something different. Marty is one of those people who is naturally driven, ambitious, and wired to think big. The type of person who doesn’t just see what something is, he sees what it could become.

Over time we talked, shared ideas, and realized we had similar vision and work ethic. I had already been approached by people wanting to invest or partner, but nothing ever felt right. It either didn’t align with my values, or the energy wasn’t there. But with Marty, it clicked immediately. There was trust, belief, and a shared hunger to build something real.

He didn’t just support the idea, he believed in it. Fully. He was all in from the start, and sometimes that’s all you need to know you found the right person to build with.

That’s how The Taco Plug partnership was born, not from a business meeting, not from a pitch deck, but from a simple moment, good food, and two people who believed in the same dream.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My social media journey didn’t start with a strategy, a marketing plan, or even the intention to go viral. It started with passion, consistency, and sacrifice. At the time, I already had a full-time job working night shifts as a warehouse supervisor. The Taco Plug wasn’t a business yet, it was something I did on my one of my days off, Fridays, cooking food from the heart and sharing it with the small audience I had.

Those early days were tough, balancing long nights at work and waking up to cook the next day. But it never felt like “work.” I loved it. People could feel that, and that’s where the momentum began. Every Friday, I’d post what I was cooking, share behind-the-scenes moments, show the food, and show me, the real grind, the late nights, the passion. People connected to the story before they connected to the brand.

At one point, I had a friend create a logo for me, something simple at first, and that visual identity sparked something. It gave the brand a name, a face, and an identity. Then I invested in having a professional designer refine it, and that branding helped everything click. It was like the vision finally came together, not overnight, but step by step. And from there, the audience started growing. People shared my posts, shared my food, tagged friends, and the community grew naturally. One order at a time, one post at a time, one Friday at a time.

Now The Taco Plug isn’t just a name it’s a movement, a community, and a brand people feel connected to.

Advice for people starting out:

• Start with passion, not perfection. People follow real energy more than polished content.
• Show your story. Don’t just post the product show the grind, the process, the journey.
• Be consistent. Even one dedicated content day a week can build momentum.
• Invest in branding when you can. A strong logo and identity make your audience take you seriously.
• Engage with your community. Reply to comments, show appreciation, build relationships not just followers.
• Don’t rush the growth. This didn’t happen overnight, it was built slowly, authentically, and with heart.
• Believe in your vision when no one else sees it yet. The audience grows when you grow.

At the end of the day, social media didn’t build The Taco Plug alone,passion, consistency, and community did. Social media just amplified it.