Rike’s Tacos

Rike’s Tacos: From High School Dreams to Business Expansion and Community Impact

Rike’s Tacos is a family-owned Mexican restaurant that began with a single location in Ariton in 2019. The Tzanahua family, including brothers Anthony and Rike, had a vision for expansion despite the challenges they faced. As high schoolers, the brothers needed guidance to navigate the complexities of growing their business into a larger town like Troy. Their mother, Isabel, reached out for help, and that’s when Juliana Bolivar, their main business advisor from the Alabama SBDC at Troy University, stepped in to assist.

Juliana helped the family with the permits necessary to expand their business to Troy. She guided the young entrepreneurs through the licensing process, ensuring they understood the requirements and timelines. Isabel was relieved to have Juliana’s expertise as her boys embarked on this significant step. Juliana’s support didn’t stop there. She also helped Anthony figure out how to bring their food truck to campus for sporting events, guiding him on how to become an approved vendor for the university.

In addition to these efforts, the Tzanahua family joined the SBDC’s bootcamp for food entrepreneurs, which provided them with valuable insights and strategies for growing their business. Juliana also explained the importance of joining the Chamber of Commerce and mediated for them to join. Their dedication and hard work paid off when they successfully opened their second location in Troy in December 2022. The business, known for its authentic and delicious tacos, continued to thrive, including their popular food truck used for events and festivals.

With their sights set on further expansion, the Tzanahua family faced new challenges. They needed to standardize recipes, improve marketing efforts, and develop a distribution strategy for their new salsa line, “Naua.” Juliana provided comprehensive support, discussing the potential acquisition of a local donut shop, Trojan Donuts, and exploring the synergy between tacos and donuts. By acquiring Trojan Donuts, they not only expanded their business but also saved a local establishment from closure, positively impacting the local economy. Juliana advised on establishing a separate company for the donut shop, ensuring clear financial demarcation and process implementation.

Addressing personnel challenges, Juliana helped the family improve staff retention and task efficiency through enhanced job descriptions and benefits. She also reviewed their efforts to standardize recipes for consistency across locations and introduced a system for periodic review based on customer feedback.

In terms of marketing and branding, Juliana involved Yadira “Yari” Colon-Lopez, the current marketing advisor, to provide additional support. Yadira developed branding elements for their salsa line, “Naua,” and discussed a distribution strategy to initiate local market sales. She also coordinated with Troy University to feature Rike Tacos for Hispanic Heritage Month, enhancing their visibility and marketing reach.

Thanks to the combined efforts of Juliana and Yadira, the Tzanahua family successfully initiated the process of acquiring the donut shop, with a strategic plan in place. They implemented clear financial and operational processes for the new entity and improved staff retention through enhanced job descriptions and benefits. The family achieved consistency in product offerings by standardizing recipes and launched the “Naua” salsa line with a targeted distribution strategy.

Rike Tacos received media attention during Hispanic Heritage Month, increasing community engagement and their customer base. The business also added two full-time and one part-time employee, reflecting growth and stability.

The SBDC’s contributions were instrumental in helping Rike Tacos navigate their expansion, improve operations, and enhance their market presence. The support provided not only benefited the Tzanahua family but also positively impacted the local community and economy by saving Trojan Donuts from closure. The Tzanahua family’s entrepreneurial spirit and desire to succeed, coupled with the guidance and support from the SBDC, have set them on a path to continued success and growth.