Posted by
RepublicanEvangelist on Friday, May 01, 2009 5:45:43 PM
Those of you not in Los Angeles, have no idea what I am talking about. The Korean Taco Truck
http://kogibbq.com/ has become a local phenomenon in the past few months. The business consists of two trucks and a stand alone restaurant in Culver City
http://www.alibiroomla.com/home.php . The concept is simple, put Korean barbecue on tacos, in burritos, and in quesadillas. Mark and Caroline Maguera started the business just four months ago when Mark was confronted with an impending layoff from his job. He had to think of something to do and do it quickly. They did. They brought in a Korean chef, Roy Choi to come up with the food and seem to employ their entire family in various areas like web design and public relations. They marketed their product using the internet sensation Twitter
http://twitter.com/ . That is how I found them. Someone that I followed on Twitter was following the truck. Twitter enables the truck to send followers updates as to where they will be and at what time. They started out operating the trucks at night because they had day jobs according to founder Caroline. They put the trucks outside Los Angeles nightclubs where people can line up and get some grub and sober up waiting for food after an evening of well I guess clubbing. They have been featured on Nightline and on local Los Angeles news
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-rH19j-AGI . The unpredictable nature of the truck visits increase the excitement around the taco truck. People line up at 200-300 at a time. The truck often has to leave with people still waiting in line or just runs out of food. They are doing so well they are expanding routes and are purchasing a third truck. I have had three times now. It is good. I hope to make it a regular event.
What is the point of this post? It is this: Mark didn't go on unemployement or wait for some government handout. There is no stimulus money anywhere involved in this business. Someone had an idea and went for it. This is the greatness of America. This can and does happen here, for now. If we unleash the ingenuity of the American people and untie their hands from burdensome taxation and unnecessary regulation, there is no limit as to what they can achieve.