Business Member Spotlight: Taqueria 27

Chef Todd Gardiner cut his culinary teeth in the kitchens of The New Yorker, Log Haven, Z Tejas and several different restaurants at Snowbird. When your resume boasts positions at highly-rated restaurants like these, you can sign up to work almost anywhere in Utah—and beyond. Todd was lucky enough to have influential mentors along the way that allowed him to think outside of the box. But, he wanted more.
 

The start of a beautiful partnership
Todd started working in restaurants at the age of 12—trying to earn enough money to pay his own way on hunting trips with his grandfather. His mom let him work a few hours a week as a bus boy in the restaurant where she served as hostess. That “get it done” kind of attitude is ultimately what led him to where he is today.
 

Coming up through the ranks, Todd was youthful, brash and extremely talented. While working at Log Haven, he met a Chicagoan named Kristin who had recently moved to Utah to ski after completing college. Her no-nonsense style was a breath of fresh air. She knew what she wanted and she certainly wasn’t going to let his bark chase her away.
 

Over the next 20 years, the couple got married, had a daughter and Kristin left the restaurant industry to work in healthcare. They subsidized their income by purchasing infill lots around the city on which they built new homes as a way to revitalize neighborhoods.

Taking the leap
Those years were good but Todd still dreamt of having his own restaurant. Kristen says, “He really wanted to break out on his own. I was terrified of that. Once we had one year’s worth of salary in the bank, then it was okay to try it.” In 2012, they finally decided to take the leap and opened their first Taqueria 27 location. They chose Lamplighter Square on Foothill Blvd because they liked the idea of having a neighborhood restaurant that was within walking distance. Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. It took time, planning and organization.
 

First, they needed to find out what their financing options looked like—Mountain America Credit Union was their first stop. Todd came away from that initial meeting with hope and a lot of homework! Before he could secure an SBA loan, he had to write a business plan and develop a corporate strategy. He had never done that before but had learned a lot about the business side of restaurants during his time at Z Tejas. With Kristin’s help, they developed a plan to open five locations in five years—an aggressive, but doable, goal. The loan was approved by Mountain America and things got rolling.
 

Todd’s description of the food at Taqueria 27 is “fancy tacos and fine tequilas.” He says it’s Mexican-ish. That means good, fresh food that definitely runs alongside traditional Mexican fare. However, they don’t hold tight to any pre-conceived standards of what Mexican food should look like. Instead, they like to push the envelope and try new things.
 

Word-of-mouth spread like wildfire after they opened the first location. True to their plan, Todd and Kristin didn’t stop. There are currently four Taqueria 27 locations—Foothill, Holladay, Downtown and Fashion Place—with the fifth opening soon in Lehi.
 

What’s the payoff?
Getting these additional locations up and running meant that Todd had to step away from his chef duties into an executive role. Kristin quit her day job and joined him full time. Together they’ve built a culture of collaboration and creativity where their kitchen staff has the ability to learn and experiment with food—very similar to Todd’s own experience.
 

Todd and Kristin emulate an immense sense of pride whenever they talk about what they do. From the restaurant design, to the guests that support them, to the 150 people they employ, to the way they source and prepare the food, they know they’ve done well and they’re grateful.
 

Todd’s quick to point out, “We’re not a chain. We have multiple locations … but it’s far more organic than that. We’re still involved in growing this thing. And it’s a lot fun!”

Local whenever possible
Because these two are not the type to sit back and watch, last year they started their own garden. They know how important locally-produced ingredients are, so Kristin borrowed a plot of land from their neighbor to grow heirloom tomatoes.
 

What did they do with them? Pumped up their salsa? Made mouth-watering salads that rivaled the finest pieces of art? Yes, and just to hammer home the point of Mexican-ish, they also put their beautiful tomatoes together with fresh mozzarella from Caputo’s and made a caprese taco with basil and balsamic reduction. Mmmmmm—cue the slow-mo!
 

This year, Kristin’s planting twice as many heirloom tomato plants in the garden! We can’t wait to see where they’ll pop up on the menu. Hey, Chef Todd—here’s a challenge: find a way to get the flavors of grilled cheese and heirloom tomato soup into a taco!
 

Congratulations to Taqueria 27! We’re so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and extremely grateful you chose Mountain America to partner with you on this very tasty journey.
 

If you need help getting your business idea off the ground or you’re ready to expand, come talk with Mountain America about a business loan. We can even help you with payment processing, payroll and many other business services you may need. We’re here when you’re ready.