Conversations with David Guerrero

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Guerrero.

Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
How the idea came about was when I was hanging out with family, and they expressed how they loved my food, but since it’s family telling you this, you kinda doubt yourself and do not believe them (family will always say it nicely or they will not be straight out with you in fear of putting you down). Therefore, one of my friends drives miles or hours away just to try food spots that are Instagram-famous and believes your food can compete with them. I was convinced and decided to take my first leap. I figured let me combine some of the different flavors that I’ve always grown up with, which you have in your Mexican carne asada, and let’s change it up a little bit and include some of the different cooking styles that I enjoy, such as Texas bbq having that smoked flavor and then make it my own. So I turned it into something that I feel not that many people have seen or tasted; that is how Warrior Smoke House came to be, and it has been an amazing experience, a passion of mine I would not change for anything as it has humbled me and showed how hard it is to work and become your own entrepreneur.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge was the fear that one has at trying something new and different. When you’re stuck doing an everyday routine and just letting life pass you by. You know like they say having the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome. Well, that was the one thing that had held us back. The fear of: is this going to fail? Will anyone like the food? What if no one shows up? Will I screw this up? Also, living paycheck to paycheck, it’s hard to put money to the side to be able to make these purchases to start the business. Never would I imagine how much work really does go into owning your own business. All the hours spent on your brand, looking for deals so that you can limit your expenses. Figuring out where you can get your menu items that are good quality and won’t break the bank. Making your dollars stretch so that you can be able to purchase what you need and have some money left for food and gas. You learn to wear many hats. You learn how to design logos, you learn to market and advertise, you learn to put your fear in the back burner, you learn how to be a salesperson. But man, I wouldn’t trade that in for nothing. Just being able to grow and learn all about this makes you a different person. It humbles you. It makes you gain a new form of respect for all of those people that have done it before you.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I come from a humble background. I remember learning from my mom at a young age and always being drawn to the kitchen when she was making food specially desserts. Growing up, I never knew that I would develop this passion for food. Graduating high school, I remember my parents pushing me to go to college, but I just didn’t know what I would want to be or do, but the one constant was that I always enjoyed watching cooking shows. I grew up watching Emeril Lagasse and his famous catchphrase “BAM”. Something about that always caught my eye. As I grew older, I fell in love with Gordon Ramsey’s style of cooking and became a great fan of all of his shows. So having watched so many years of food, different cooking techniques, cuisines, and styles of cooking, it was all a matter of time that I would eventually start my own journey into this cooking lifestyle. After trying out many different types of food from your regular chain restaurants to your hole-in-the-wall spots, street vendors all the way up too Michelin Star restaurants I have taken bits of pieces from all of the different things that I have watched and witnessed, and adapted them into what has now become our signature Warrior Smokehouse taste and flavor!

How do you think about luck?
Man o man where do I start on the role of luck? First and foremost, I would like to thank my family: Mom (Graciela), Dad (Victor), my wife aka ride or die (Eva), my mother-in-law (Maria), and my partners (Robert & Alex). Without their support honestly, I don’t think that we would be around for this long; having their support has pushed me and Warrior Smokehouse to blossom into what it is now. Luck has been something that has been with us from the beginning. Since fear was one of the things that held us back and would make us think twice about moving forward with this idea. Luck showed us that wherever there’s a will theirs definitely a way. Luck showed us that on our very first pop-up when we sold out in an hour and a half. What a rollercoaster of emotions that was. Luck really showed us that good things do happen to those that try and put their hearts or in this case a plate of delicious tacos out there.

Speaking of luck it has gone full circle. Thanks to all of the support and love that we have received we are extending an invitation to come out and celebrate our one year anniversary of when this all first started. So on Saturday October 7th @ 5:00pm if your hungry come out and have some tacos or a burrito the Warrior Smokehouse way. And remember stay hungry my friends.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warriorsmokehouse/#