How did you find the perfect Margarita recipe?
We wanted to create a margarita that was a little smoother to drink--The “Perfect” Margarita. I love Margaritas, and there are many great restaurants that do it remarkably well today. For me, in the past, sometimes when enjoying Margaritas, I would receive slight heart burn, due to the high acidity from some margaritas. We wanted to eliminate that. The premium ingredients we use, plus a splash of orange juice, really helps cut the acidity. We shake our margaritas to wake up the juices, and serve over ice with a heavily salted rim. It all plays!
You owned Otey’s for years before opening Taco Mama. What did owning and running Otey’s teach you in making Taco Mama a success?
I have always valued people. I love people, but Otey’s reminded me of the importance of genuine relationships, with great people and the importance of working as a team. Oteys has always had that culture. We carried that culture to Taco Mama and built upon that foundation and added to that culture.
What research went into the Taco Mama formula, and how much did your instincts play in the your decisions?
My decisions were all based on my instincts. I wish I had a great formula. It’s a lot of "feel" that is developed through travel and your past experiences in your life. It’s how your eyes see the world and what you take from your experiences, mixed with passion and blind luck.
Restaurants come and go, and it’s clearly a tough business. What makes a restaurant financial successful?
The simple answer, people gracing your doors, but this is a way deeper conversation than that. I can’t sum it up on this page but I’ll do my best. Restaurant experience, being able to identify, hire and develop talented people who are obsessed and love to please people, who are not afraid of hard work and want to be a part of a like minded team, understand and have a passion for what it takes to prepare consistently delicious fresh food, served by passionate people pleasing people, who want to do nothing more than to love on people and make people happy in a fun environment that exudes feel and personality.
Where do you like to eat around town?
Goodness. Putting me on the spot. I love to dine. I love restaurants. If you love food, we are so fortunate to live in Birmingham. I have been traveling a bit and have quickly found out that other cities do not have as many great restaurants as we have here. Too many to name. I will leave someone out, I am sorry. Way too many. I eat out a lot and this is impossible.
What’s next for Taco Mama and any other restaurant aspirations?
Taco Mama is going to keep focusing on taking care of each one of our guests who come in and support us. It’s all about food and people. We are thankful for everyone who comes and let’s us show them a good time. For this Spring and Summer, food wise, we are going to put a lot of focus into our slow cooked & low heat roasted Barbacoa. Some Barbacoa (braised beef) tacos or nachos. Our Barbacoa is extremely tender and amazing flavor. We are currently perfecting a new margarita called “The Margarita Fizz” that will be made with a splash of champagne. Currently, no other restaurant aspirations. Having a lot of fun!!!
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