Moving up
Almost a decade ago, after Lupe Martinez and his wife had their last child, things were going well, until she went into a bout of depression.
Pills prescribed by the doctor didn’t work well, and the doctor suggested the couple find something to do together to keep her busy.
“He was just throwing it out there to see what would happen,” Martinez said.
Meanwhile, his wife would often pack her husband’s lunch for work, with extras for his co-workers. His co-workers grew fond of the food, and one day, one of them suggested opening a food truck.
Without the funds to invest in one, Martinez kept working–until the same friend told him about a truck for sale, suggesting Martinez to go look at it.
“He gave me the address, and I went to look at the trailer, and he (said), ‘Talk to the owner and tell her who sent you over.’”
Martinez explained to the seller he didn’t have the funds to take it home with him that day.
“I looked at it, and I really liked it…I just wasn't ready,” Martinez said.
The woman told him it seemed like he would be using it for a family business and said she only had the truck for a year.
Despite Martinez not having the funds, she told him to take it home, start working on it, and send her a payment at the end of every season.
That was the beginning of El Rey Del Taco.
“Things were turning around for me a little bit,” Martinez said.
At first, businesses weren’t receptive to Martinez parking his truck in their parking lots.
“Every place I went out to see if I (could) park in their parking lot, they were closing the doors on me, on my face,” Martinez said.
Some said no right away. Others said it was a corporate decision and that he should call them later.
After a while of being rejected, Martinez got upset and eventually told one business, “You know what? I know you don't want me to park out here, but there's gonna be a day that you're gonna come back to me and beg for me to come out.”
That day finally came.
After two years, Martinez said, everything started to change.
“We started to get contracts, people started to recommend us all over, and big companies and corporations, they believed in our food and gave us the opportunity, and that’s why now we want to do a permanent business so we can get more variety of authentic Mexican Food to them,” Martinez said.
With the current success of the food truck, Martinez said, they are in the process of opening a storefront to help keep the business busy during the cold winter months when food trucks aren’t as popular.
“I enjoy owning my business because I talk to people and all ages joke with them and if they had a bad day, I can always see a smile when they have our food,” Martinez said.
Martinez said owning a brick-and-mortar restaurant location is something he and his wife thought about for a while, but he wanted it to be the right location for their business.
“I just wanted something small. I didn't want to have a big overhead and then more worries, but it came up, something small and a nice corner,” Martinez said.
Martinez said they are in the process of working out the permitting process and other requirements and don’t have a clear date on when they’d officially be opening their restaurant at 153 W. Bridge Street in downtown Owatonna.
It’s an opening many people are looking forward to.
“Lupe has been a familiar face around town with his bright, flavor-packed food truck, earning a loyal following,” an Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce newsletter stated. “Now, fans won’t have to wait for an event or track down the truck — they’ll be able to stop in any time for their favorite tacos, burritos, and more.”
In addition to the storefront, Martinez pledged to keep the food truck going as well. In fact, before calling a reporter back for this story, he was out feeding a business on a Friday afternoon.
Aside from the business, Martinez said the best thing that has happened is his wife overcoming the bout of depression.
“Now she's the one that kicks my butt (to) get going,” he said.