This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Edward Perea and Alejandro Rodriguez, owners of Summit Tacos, are now parking their taco truck at the former Georgia Boys storefront, 237 Collyer St., and they couldn’t have made the shift without the generous support of the Longmont community.
With Perea primarily at the back of house as chef and Rodriguez at front of house with operations, the two equal owners hope to transition from food truck to storefront without a hitch on May 28th offering a bigger menu of authentic Mexican street food.
“I grew up in Mexico City and you have taquerias outside of subway stations everywhere. It is a passion. You can really express, give your love, and your passion about your own culture on a plate of tacos, represented on a plate of tacos,” said Rodriguez.
The pair have 35 years combined experience in the restaurant industry and they always knew they wanted to open a Mexican restaurant, but it was simply a matter of time and money before they could reach their aspirations. The name behind Summit Tacos represents the uphill struggle of bussing tables and working in kitchens all these years to get to the top where they could ultimately oversee the concept and culture of their own restaurant.
Summit Tacos was established the last few months of 2016, but the food truck wasn’t fully operational until March 2017. The last thing they wanted to do was go to a bank and get a big loan like many businesses do to get off the ground. They’ve had help from friends and family, but primarily have saved up their own money over the years to get started.
“Edward, he did most of the build of the first trailer. The only thing that we didn't do was change the tires because we didn't have the equipment for it. Edward put his skills into action and built a little kitchen in the trailer,” said Rodriguez. “The food truck started here in Longmont. We started by going to a bunch of the breweries here in town. Wibby Brewing, just down the street. Left Hand Brewing, St. Vrain Cidery, Longtucky, and City Star Brewing up in Berthoud.”
They were pumped to put in the work, hours, and energy into creating something that was a honest representation of who they are. Other than hard work, they attribute their success so far to a combination of many things, starting with being at the right place at the right time, but also a very supportive community for small businesses.
“The story is on March 8th, 2017 we got our permits from the county and the city. And that afternoon we were already serving tacos at Lefthand Brewing. It just happened coincidentally, because they had a cancellation for the day, they needed a food truck for the evening, and we were available. We set up there. And people just started loving our food," said Rodriguez.
“Next thing you know that night, we met the owner of St. Vrain Cidery, we had no idea who he was. So, we went there, too. Left Hand Brewing I think was a Wednesday maybe and by Saturday, we're setting up at St. Vrain Cidery. It was a beautiful day, patio weather. And it was a huge success. So many people just came to us and fell in love with our food.”
For the time being, the food truck will stay on the back burner so they can concentrate on getting the storefront business off the ground. With all the restrictions that come with a food truck, having a storefront will have its advantages, including an expanded menu with foods like cochinita which is a Yucatan style pulled pork.
“Unintentionally, running the food truck for two years was kind of free advertisement for the company because it built a following. We're going to continue working on bringing new people into the restaurant. People are super amazing on social media. They follow us and they share our posts and they tell their friends about it,” said Rodriguez.
“This is our concept and our culture that we share with everyone. But ultimately, it is a community project. If the community doesn't come by and buy tacos, then we don't have a business. Everyone in Longmont has made Summit Tacos what Summit Tacos is today and hopefully it continues growing.”
For Edward and Alejandro, they see the food truck as a good stepping-stone for getting a storefront. They have no background in business and have grown their business knowledge with the growth of Summit Tacos.
“It's kind of like Edward and I are going to business school with the business. We're growing with a business. It's a good progression because I think that if we would have had the chance to open a big restaurant at the very beginning, I think it would have been harder because we didn't know as much,” said Rodriguez.
What Edward and Alejandro want to do with Summit Tacos is serve street food that you can get at a market in Mexico, where you sit down at a communal table and eat with a bunch of different people. They also want to serve food they grew up with. Including nopalitos which is a vegan taco with cactus plant which is known for its versatility in Mexican cuisine. Alejandro’s mom used to make scrambled eggs in the morning and mix it with nopalitos.
“It's a traditional thing in Mexico. We had talked about and we wanted to do it because we wanted to bring something new and unique. We're trying to be as authentic and true to Mexico as we can. And that's one of the things that's a staple out there because, you know, money is not available. It's cheap to buy on the Street, it's easy, it's everywhere,” said Perea.
Starting May 28th, they will open to regular hours of 11am to 9pm. But on the week of the 21st, Tuesday through Saturday, they’re open 3pm to 9pm as a soft open to the general public. Also, due to popular demand, hopefully soon in June they will offer brunch on Saturdays. So, look out for that.
“This is truly our culture and our identity,” said Rodriguez. “And hopefully you'll feel it when you take a bite out of our taco or when you dip your pambazo in pozole.”
