Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbara Burrell. She and her team shared their story with us below:
Barbara Jean “Sky” Burrell, founder and Owner of Sky’s Gourmet Tacos was born to a modest and musically talented family in Chicago, Illinois. Her Father was a professional Jazz Musician (Charles Burrell), and her mother was a celebrity chef. Barbara’s first job was to be a cashier at Krogers Market, the very first African American ever to be hired by the chain. She attended Michigan State University, eventually earning a master’s degree in Strategic Business Management. During this time, she also began training as a cook in the many area restaurants, trading hard work for lessons. As a result, she was exposed to the many culinary traditions of then far-flung cultures, including Polish, Italian and Mexican. Along with her extensive experience of southern cooking from her own family experience, she enjoyed experimenting with combining normally divergent ingredients and taste profiles, later to be called “Fusion,” a word Barbara refused to ever use herself. “It just sounds too trendy – and way too simple!”
Following her Studies, Barbara moved to Los Angeles in 1975 and began to work as a facility Manager for several companies, including the United Way, assisting in the implementation and management of Housing facilities. During her tenure, she oversaw a budget of over 28 million dollars and managed a staff of 200. She was also a member of the board for The Watts Labor Action Committee (WLAC) and worked extensively in her community. She also was a consultant for McDonalds and was part of the team that introduced their first “Drive-through”, which later became a mainstay of the chain.
After ten years of senior asset management, Barbara decided to turn her eye to her favorite subject – food. She had, of course, never stopped cooking but it wasn’t until she began to consider that the simple taco was far under-reaching its’ potential that she developed her plan to become a restaurateur. She wanted to make this ubiquitous Latin invention with the type of quality ingredients and flavors never tried before, but despite its lack of a track record at that time – to her it was a surefire and unique opportunity. In a small storefront in the Mid-city area of Los Angeles, she took her savings and opened “Sky’s Gourmet Tacos” on March 5th, 1992. Her twist on the favorite was almost an overnight success, although she doesn’t remember it that way. “People came in for a Taco and had to discover that it was pretty different than what they expected, but they certainly came back!” Her lobster Taco was especially shocking, but the one that she says threw her over the top was the Shrimp Taco, inspired by her Southern influences. The new sub-moniker for the Business was soon “Mexican, with a Splash of Soul”. From there, she added Crawfish, Filet Mignon, and Shitake Mushroom – along with a full menu from Burritos to Hamburgers. A few months later, she added an extensive Vegan and Vegetarian menu, years before it became the norm.
It wasn’t long before Barbara opened a catering division, “Sky’s Gourmet Catering” and began hosting parties, weddings, recording sessions and award events with inventive and cost-effective food and service. Her company became an approved vendor for many city-controlled entities, schools and corporations including USC, City of Los Angeles, City of Commerce, Laces, and Paramount Pictures. Her celebrity clients are numerous and include many well-known Jazz and popular musicians including Usher and Stevie Wonder. Sky’s Catering Division continues to grow and is now a city-wide supplier for over a hundred clients a month.
Sky’s is now also part of AMAZON Prime, and its full range of proprietary Sauces and Spices are available online. Sky’s Taco, Burrito and Nacho kits are also available on GOLDBELLY for Nationwide Shipping.
In June of last year, Sky’s Gourmet was listed as one of the Top Fifteen Black Owned Businesses in America by Travel Noire Magazine. In May of 2020, Barbara was awarded the “Trailblazer” Award by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) for her outstanding contribution to the growth of Women in Business. In 2015 she was awarded the “Best Business of the Year” by The National Black Enterprise Group and has since received numerous city awards for civic service and volunteerism. All her food has won awards from the Los Angeles Magazine, LA Weekly, LA Times, Time-Out Magazine, and numerous online sites. Her Cheesecake has won “Best in LA – Top Ten” three years in a row. In 2017 she was presented with a plaque by Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on the 25th anniversary of the original restaurant on Pico Blvd. She has been profiled in over 50 nationwide Publications, including a recent feature article in the Los Angeles Times.
As the Sky’s family of companies continues to grow, with new locations opening in Los Angeles soon, Sky hopes to bring her unique style and taste to all of Southern California and beyond. Over the last few years, her organization has focused on creating a sound base of operations, supply chains, and staff to handle the expansions and her extensive asset management ability has prepared the company for future growth and focusing on client development and retention. As she puts it, “I was born to a tradition of good food, and food is the one thing that all people and cultures, no matter who they are, can share and that brings them together – that knowledge I was born with. Life taught me the rest.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Barbara faced a host of challenges since opening her “Sky’s Gourmet Tacos” over 30 years ago, including the tragic loss of a beloved her son (a partner in opening the business). The business fought through other obstacles including a 1992 Pico Blvd. location, two Riots, Food shortages, Strikes, three Earthquakes, inflation and Covid; since opening 30 years ago, Barbara Burrell has still been a trail-blazer for the mid-city area, encouraging businesses to open on Pico Blvd, once a desert of car body shops and liquor stores. As an African-American woman, she became a leader in the community and provided safe haven and protection during riots, Protests and earthquakes – not to mention Covid-19. The restaurant has been a central meeting place for the Latino and Black communities and it has worked with the City of Los Angeles, Council District 10 and Pico Neighborhood Council to improve the neighborhood and meet the needs of the community. Sky’s Gourmet Tacos is certainly known as a unique and great southern-style Taco place – but it is also a pillar of the community. For Barbara Burrell, the restaurant reflects the love of the community and a testament to her lost child.
We’ve been impressed with Sky’s Gourmet Tacos, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sky’s Gourmet Marketplace (DBA Sky’s Gourmet Tacos) caters to different audiences, and this has resulted in a great variety of foods produced, including Vegan and Vegetarian. The Main focus of the company has been, and remains “Mexican, with a Splash of Soul” and Sky’s is known for this mix of cultures in its now famous dishes like the Shrimp or Lobster Tacos, Filet Mignon Nachos and many others. It is American-South meets Mexican, and the Owner Barbara “Sky” Burrell started it all decades before the others.
Sky’s Bottles and sells its own Sauce line on Amazon and her Taco and award-winning Cheesecake is sold nationwide on Goldbelly.com.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you, Barbara, and why?
I have much to be proud of. Since opening 30 years ago, Sky’s Gourmet Tacos has been a trailblazer for the mid-city area, encouraging businesses to open on Pico Blvd. Before I came it was a sea of car body shops and liquor stores. As an African-American woman, I became a leader in the community, and we provided safe haven and protection during riots, earthquakes and more recently, Covid. The restaurant has been a central meeting place for the Latino and Black community and it has worked with the Council District 10 and PNC for 30 years to improve the neighborhood and meet the needs of the community. It’s a great USA southern-style Taco place – but it has also become an integral part of the community and the joy of my life. I started the business with my dear son who died in a tragic Motorcycle accident only a short while after we opened. I went in the next day, determined to make our dream a reality – I think I have done him proud.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SkysTacos.com
- Instagram: @skystacos
- Facebook: @skystacos
