Torchy's Tacos founder Mike Rypka explains how he and his initial business partner financed the launch of their first taco food trailer in Austin in 2006.
0:00 / 0:14exact quote · 14.1s
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“I ended up taking a loan on my house and using that to help Kind of get the trailer painted and get our logo on there and buy some of the equipment.”
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Insight
Rypka: Banks will not lend $600K to first-time restaurant founders
“I didn't have any money. I didn't know people with money and that's really kind of almost how you have to start a restaurant. You know, bank's not going to just take a bet on you and give you a 600 grand to go open a brick and mortar restaurant.”
Mike RypkaJul 28, 2025▶ 24:36Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka
Disclosure
Rypka: Torchy's Tacos operated illegally from a co-founder's driveway
“We ended up for a week literally cooking out of Bill's driveway. We Took the trailer, and we hooked up the power to the trailer at his house, which was totally illegal at the time, but, you know, we were trying to stay in business and, you know, keep some cash…”
Mike RypkaJul 28, 2025▶ 32:38Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka
Insight
Mike Rypka: Food trailers are great for starting but unsustainable long term
“Hey, look, this is a great way to start, but it's not a good way to sustain. It's very weather-dependent, It's a lot of heavy lifting every day of like shipping food back and forth. And so I was really like, hey, we got to get a brick and mortar.”
Mike RypkaJul 28, 2025▶ 49:21Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Rypka: Only two of 300 promo customers agreed with critical review
“And I think out of the 300 articles we got only two people agreed with the article, so you can't please everybody, but that's a pretty impressive vote change there, so.”
Mike RypkaJul 28, 2025▶ 1:02:57Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka
AssertionSupported
Rypka: Torchy's won an 18-month lawsuit to shut down a copycat
“We definitely went to the lawyers, and the thing went on for about 18 months, but we were able to get them to close everything down, so thank goodness for that.”
Mike RypkaJul 28, 2025▶ 1:09:02Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka
Disclosure
Rypka: Torchy's founders mutually declined the CEO role after PE investment
“They had actually asked like, do one of you guys want to be the CEO? And we all kind of said no.”
Mike RypkaJul 28, 2025▶ 1:13:10Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka
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