FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — After just six months of operating a popular central Fresno food truck, the owner of Tacos El Cabezón is preparing to open his first brickandmortar restaurant next week.
The owner, Armando Arias, launched the truck at McKinley and Fruit avenues, where it quickly became a goto stop for many in the Central Valley.
Arias said the community’s support has far exceeded his expectations.
“It’s not more or less about me, it’s about what a community can do when they are behind you,” he said.
Arias moved to Fresno a year and a half ago from Los Angeles, where he first started as an entrepreneur.
He began as a street vendor, selling food from an unlicensed cart and relying on every potential sale.
“I started as a street vendor, I started off with an unlicensed cart just selling on the ‘banqueta’, the curve, and hoping that I can make a sale,” he said.
As business grew, so did his presence on social media.
“Once they came and tried our food, the handmade tortillas and the slow cooking over open-flamed fire, grew our fan base on Instagram,” Arias said.
That loyal fan base stuck with him even when he took a brief break from operating the truck.
Now, his leap of faith is bringing him to a new milestone: a downtown Fresno storefront. He calls the opportunity a blessing after years of hard work.
“It’s exciting because when you invest into something and you put your effort and savings into it, you only hope and desire that one day you can be successful,” he said.
Arias credits his team of 12 employees for helping keep the operation running smoothly.
He said they take pride in every dish, including handmade tortillas, homemade salsas and the al pastor tacos the business is best known for.
“Our pastor sauce is top-notch as you can see on my logo, I have a trompo where I am slicing it,” he said.
The name “Tacos El Cabezón” comes from Arias’ own nickname, which he says translates to “big head.”
“I don’t even remember my name being Armando, it was also Cabezón!!” he said.
Beyond the upcoming downtown location, Arias said he is already working on a second storefront and a second food truck.
He acknowledges the journey has not been easy but encourages others to believe in themselves.
“Take that leap of faith, take that chance and go out there and really get it. You have to be passionate too,” he said.
The grand opening is expected next week, with the exact date and time to be posted on the business’s Instagram page.
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