Meet Gabriel Gomez of Birrieria Toro Rojo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Gomez.

Hi Gabriel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After working in the banking industry for over 6 years I decided it was time for something new. I’ve always had a passion for cooking but never imagined I would be running a food truck. An opportunity presented itself when Daniel Torres came to me with the idea of selling birria.

I had never made birria but I was determined to learn. I began making it for family and friends every weekend asking for suggestions and feedback until I perfected my recipe. Soon people started requesting orders and my wife, Maribel Gallardo, and I began selling on the weekends in Lynchburg, VA.

As the word began to spread we started getting orders from family and friends in Durham, NC. That’s when I and Daniel Torres realized this could really work. I quit my 9-5 to focus on this new business venture and we took a trip out to California for research and development. We made it out to Birrieria Gomez, Teddys Red Tacos and La Autentica Birrieria. After coming back it was time to get to work. Finally, Birrieria Toro Rojo was born.

With the help of Beto Torres and Jimmy Gallardo, Danny and I were able to Finance the food truck and get started. Soon after we brought on Esteban Torres. All that was left was to put a team together to help on the food truck. Our intial team consisted of: Artemisa, Abigail, Lucero, Maribel, and Esteban Torres. We can’t forget my parents who also played a big part behind the scenes. We opened on March 22, 2021, and the rest is history.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely hasn’t been easy. Opening a business in the middle of Covid alone has been a challenge. Hiring employees, finding the right commissary. Traveling to work from our home in VA to NC. Unexpected expenses such as food truck repairs.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Birria is a traditional Mexican dish from Jalisco, originally made with goat meat and a combination of chili peppers and other spices.

We make our birria from Angus beef and add it to other dishes that are not traditional but are more relatable to today’s generation like fries, nachos, and other dishes. We are proud of being able to introduce birria to people here in the united states who are not familiar with it.

Like everything else in this world, food is always evolving, so it’s fun to create new dishes. Food is our form of art.

What do you think about happiness?
Making people happy makes me happy. It makes me happy to see people bring new people to our truck then those new people will go and tell their friends about it. It makes me happy to know that our food brings so many people together from all different places and backgrounds.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @birrieriatororojo
• Facebook: Birrieria Toro Rojo
• TikTok: @birrieriatororojo