A Taste of Mexico
How food truck owners in Austin entered the food industry and faced adversity. BY: RYAN LOPEZ Working several hours a day and every day of the week making and serving food is the type of life food truck owners go through. They all hope to see the light on the other side of the tunnel but it may take years to reach that point. Every order they complete may just be for a smile or a small tip from a customer but that lake is all of the satisfaction they need to persevere. Lis Mariscal, Miguel Vidal and Tony Galindo all work at or own an Austin area food truck that specializes in Mexicanrelated cuisine. Their food trucks first opened in 2008 and 2013 and have attracted a lot of attention since. All of them are passionate about the food industry and the inspiration for their food has come from their childhood and family. Mariscal is an employee and family member at Veracruz All Natural. Having been born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, Mariscal’s family business showcases true Mexican cuisine. “Our food is very directed to the region of Mexico, where we come from, which is Veracruz, Mexico,” Mariscal said. “It’s authentic Mexican food. We Rolling through austin | 20
Three generation family ordering food at Veracruz All Natural. Photo courtesy of Ryan Lopez
don’t make Tex-Mex style food because we wanted to keep it authentically traditional to where we are from.” Vidal, the owner of Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ, was raised in San Antonio, and he started to work at his first restaurant at a very young age just like Mariscal. They were both brought into the industry as young teenagers. “I have worked in a restaurant
since I was 15, and I started really paying attention or enjoying food and cooking when I was in my early 20s,” Vidal said. “There’s just something about when you enjoy a good meal, the memories and sparks that you feel, which is why I wanted to start a business.” Creating a business, however, does not come without challenges along the way. Vidal struggled to earn enough money to buy the
