Today we’d like to introduce you to Andres Zambrano.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was 18, my dad left his job as a well respected executive chef in Orange County to start his own restaurant. It seemed risky, and when I asked why he made the move, he said, “I don’t own a fork at my old job. Here I do.” That inspired me, and after high school, I decided to work with him. It taught me important lessons about risk-taking and living on your own terms.
During the 2008 recession, sales were falling, and I could see the worry in my dad. Eventually, we left the restaurant to start Soho Taco, a new catering company with my Dad and several other family members. This was another big risk since we were in debt and the economy was struggling, but we had faith in our product and work ethic. With Soho, we saw an opportunity to create a professional experience for clients that was not yet offered in taco catering. Our success came from merging excellent presentation and customer service with great tasting traditional tacos. When current business partner Rico came on board, his strategic SEO expertise pushed our marketing to new heights. We started to get noticed by local foodies and OC Weekly and began to develop a fan base. We grew the business from one taco cart and four employees to our current 21 carts and 40+ employees.
After ten years with Soho and many lessons learned, I saw the opportunity to tap into an even more sophisticated market to truly elevate taco catering. For this reason, Rico, my dad and I have started a new high-end taco catering business named Nómada. Starting from scratch gives us the opportunity to be students again, to humble ourselves, and experience the joy of starting something new and fresh.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be honest, it’s been very challenging. Being in a Mexican family-owned business as the youngest has been difficult. The lines between business and family were blurred. I had to break through the molds of what was expected of me in a Mexican family hierarchy. There’s been a lot of self-doubt and fear of failure, which still continues to this date. However, because of those challenging experiences, the team and I have developed resilience and tools to navigate challenging times. Our drive in the pursuit of creating excellent products for customers is much bigger than the fear of failure at this point. I’m really grateful for that.
Nómada – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business name is Nomada, which means nomad in Spanish. I was inspired to use that name because I feel that I am a nomad at heart. I’m an explorer who loves to dive into different territories professionally, spiritually and intellectually. I’m never satisfied with the status quo. To evolve, we must challenge it even when the odds are not in your favor. With Soho, we elevated taco catering to a new, more professional level, and now we are ready to target a more sophisticated market. We specialize in high-end ceviches, tacos, and hors d’oeuvres with impeccable presentation and service, something that has never been done before in the industry. What really sets us apart are our unique, modern taco carts that will set the standard for taco catering events in Los Angeles and beyond.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When Soho Taco first moved into their current headquarters back in 2014, my vision was to remodel the tasting room to fit our brand look. My idea was if we are going to be selling quality products, our clients need to be in a quality environment. I pitched this idea to my business partners, but they rejected it, saying, “Soho is not at that stage yet.”
I thought this was an excuse. In my mind, how do you get to a certain goal without working towards it?
I worked for four years to complete this project, working hard to show the potential benefits to my partners. After many struggles and disagreements, my partners agreed and the tasting room was completed in 2019. The end result was a quality professional space to showcase our food.
In addition, the showroom has become a side business that Soho now rents out for small events, photoshoots, and corporate events. The remodel is halfway through paying for itself.
This project helped me find my voice through all the noise. It made me realize that if you really believe in something, you must devote your life to it. I learned that it was not enough to just fight or demand for a project to get done. I had to put my ego aside and make sure my logic was airtight.
I had to communicate in a way that it made sense to my partners. If others don’t believe in your message, that is on you. As a leader, you need to take the responsibility of articulating your vision for change. If people don’t buy it, that means you have to build a better bridge of understanding. Most don’t want that responsibility, they want the easy way. However, the easy way yields an ordinary life. This particular project is something that I am really proud of.
Contact Info:
- Address: 132 E. Dyer Rd Santa Ana CA, 92707
- Website: Tastenomada.com
- Phone: (657) 221-5787
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tastenomada/
- Facebook: facebook.com/TASTENOMADA
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TASTENOMADA
Image Credit:
Photography by Brianna Caster www.BriannaCaster.com IG: @briannacaster
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