Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel & Kristin Casillas.
Husband and wife duo, Joel and Kristin, opened the doors to Orale Taqueria in January of 2016 and never looked back! Being from Jalisco, Mexico and having managed a restaurant for ten years, Joel was thrilled to open his own Mexican restaurant in Paso and share his love for food and bringing people together! “Opening and running a small business in today’s economy is no easy task, but we couldn’t be happier with the way our community has welcomed us with open arms and supported us each step of the way,” commented Joel. “Our staff, our customers, our vendors and even our ‘competitors’ have become our tribe. It’s always been about the people and what food can do as an advocate for community,” added Kristin, wife and co-owner. Located in the heart of downtown Paso Robles, Orale Taqueria has been slinging tacos for five years and has become the go-to taqueria for visitors and locals alike and pride themselves in being able to provide fresh dishes at reasonable prices and served with a smile.
Hard word and determination are no strangers to Joel who has gone from a newly immigrated dishwasher in Atascadero who spoke zero English in 2006 to a successful restaurant owner, American citizen (2020), and employer in the community – all while armed with nothing but hard work. The year Órale opened, he worked seven days a week, from our opening day in January 2016 straight through to Easter. And that perseverance is a big reason we’ve now almost hit five years of trio burritos and Taco Tuesdays.
Looking back, what is something you are most proud of?
This community! We are so grateful for the community of Paso Robles and proud to be a part of it. Looking back on 2020, we are especially proud of the opportunity we had to serve our community during the Covid19 pandemic. Covid19 hit our country hard last Spring–leaving many families jobless and others balancing a new routine with kids home from school. We wanted to serve the community that has supported our business since day one by providing warm meals to support local families in need.
We asked customers and community members to nominate a family who could use a family dinner delivered to their doorstep and chose families each week starting in April. We delivered these meals personally to families across the county each week until each family nominated had received a meal! “This is a challenging time for all of us–and like most small businesses, we are taking a financial hit, however, we want to stay positive and help the community however we can,” explains Joel Casillas, Owner of Orale Taqueria. His wife adds “While the last few weeks have been difficult for the business, we have been blown away by the way our community is coming together, and that’s something we want to be a part of! By delivering a free dinner we are hoping to relieve stress for even just an hour so families can enjoy the meal together.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We are about to celebrate our five year anniversary in January! We are so thrilled to have made it five years–but things have not been easy. Being new business owners, we had a lot to learn! We knew there would be challenges at the beginning with finding and maintaining staff, marketing and getting the word out there on a tight budget, and learning the administrative side of payroll, taxes, regulations, etc. But balancing work and life (we have two young children!) and learning how to be husband and wife, as well as “business partners”, were two of the challenges we didn’t expect. We have laughed, we have cried. We’ve felt defeated and have known what victory feels like. It’s been a journey, but through it all we have grown closer together as a family–we have more respect for the hard work the other one does and are always open to learning, being stretched and growing TOGETHER 😉
As you know, we’re big fans of Orale Taqueria. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a locally owned taqueria that specializes in California Mexican. We are a fast-casual type eatery (order at the front and we bring the food to you) that serves authentic food with exceptional service. We pride ourselves in growing and maintaining an amazing team that works their butt off everyday! What are you known for Great Mexican food and our excellent service. Specific items people come to us for are our Trio Burrito, California Burrito and Surf n Turf Burrito. We have traditional items as well as Mexican dishes with modern twists such as our loaded fries–french fries, bacon, carne asada, melted cheese, grilled onions & bell peppers topped with chipotle cream and two fried eggs! Yum!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.oraletaqueria.com/
- Instagram: orale.taqueria
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oraletaqueria805
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/%C3%B3rale-taqueria-paso-robles-2
Image Credits
Sarah Kathleen Photography
