Meet the Tijuana Taco Hero Saving Hungry New Yorkers

New York City is truly the Capital of the World, but who would’ve thought you could find a piece of Mexico in the middle of Manhattan with the most traditional Tijuana tacos? Well, there’s a hidden gem, founded by a Latino entrepreneur and his college buddies, that has arrived to save the day for local taco-eaters and tourists who crave a good meal on-the-go. Meet Los Tacos No.1 and one of its co-founders Christian Pineda, a San Diego native bringing Mexican flavor to the streets of New York.  

[Insert Amica video here] YouTube Link

Pineda is all about bringing the smell and happiness from the Tijuana culture to the fancy neighborhood of Chelsea in Manhattan. “We’re not selling Mexican tacos, we’re selling Tijuana tacos,” he says. “The best Mexican tacos come from Tijuana.” Totally unbiased!

This young architect-turned-restaurateur not only wanted to give each customer a tasty experience from Northern Mexico — flour tortillas and all — he also wanted the essence, nostalgic feel, and overall design to transport his hungry Chelsea Market guests to the taco shacks you’d find near the border. 

“The most important thing was to sell the experience and not just the tacos. It’s about the customer walking into the store, listening to the Mexican music, vibing out to the space with the taqueros; the yelling, the uniforms, the colors,” he says.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9zJpJpny6F/

After he and his business partner quit their architectural jobs to start Los Tacos No.1, they made sure to bring a positive culture to his employees: freedom, happiness and peace in the workplace. He kept it simple and traced a new path for himself in his career. 

“We wanted to truly bring a work environment where people would be happy, would be treated really fair and that we can compensate above and beyond. I think that was the nucleus of starting Los Tacos No.1”, says Pineda.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTty8X5l23Q/

Out with the corporate ladder, in with creating his own culture at work. “The challenging thing was creating the atmosphere around the taco and I think that’s where we differentiate ourselves from other taquerias — what is more beautiful than to sell your culture to other people.”

Christian Pineda is a true example that taking a leap of faith to do what makes you happy will always bring Experiencias Inigualables.