#94: Milo Ramirez - Building an Empire. 1 Taco at a Time.

Today's guest is Milo Ramirez, the Founder & Owner of Salsa Limon, a quick service Taqueria serving some of the best Mexican food in Texas. Milo's Oaxacan roots and upbringing of farm-to-table Hispanic cuisine led him to found Salsa Limon after an unbelievably successful career in media and advertising where his clientele included McDonald's and GM. 

In this episode, Milo tells the story of how his unique experience inspired Salsa Limon, his career before becoming a restauranteur, the immense amount of work that goes into creating a successful brand, finding your target customer, and more. Milo and Chris will also touch on how COVID has affected the service industry, the government response, and the downside of food delivery apps. Enjoy! 

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris

Learn more about Chris Powers & Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

(02:30) - Milo’s Story and What Led to Salsa Limon

(24:22) - How much time passed between meeting with Andrew Segal to opening the first Salsa Limon?

(26:38) - What are the things you did right when planning a restaurant? What were some of your early mistakes?

(29:29) - What makes a great restaurant location?

(32:27) - How can business owners become really fine-tuned into who their target customer is?

(36:20) - The ‘Pizza’ Pie Chart Concept of Food Margins

(40:22) - The 4 Step Process for Salsa Employees

(43:39) - What makes the best restaurant operators so great? (4-4-9)

(50:33) - Is there truth to the idea that beverages are where you make all your money?

(51:46) - How do you keep your recipes proprietary?

(52:49) - What has it been like owning 7 restaurants during a pandemic? What did you do right?

(55:53) - Do you think the government has left the service industry out to dry in all of this?

(1:00:21) - Is there any kind of stimulus that’s just for the service industry?

(1:01:35) - Do the food delivery apps help or hurt you?

(1:03:47) - What’s your favorite restaurant in the US?

(1:05:01) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

(1:05:21) - If you had a billboard on a major highway that you could put anything on, what would it say?

(1:07:03) - How can people reach you?

Visit Salsa Limon: www.salsalimon.com

Connect with Milo on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/milo17ramirez 

The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts