TBT El Gallo owner Carlos Ordaz-Nunez plans to open a location at Willow Lawn shopping center. (Photos courtesy of TBT El Gallo)
A Fan-based takeout taco spot is looking to add a new, larger coop just over the county line.
TBT El Gallo has a deal in the works for a second location in the former Pie Five Pizza Co. space in Willow Lawn.
The expansion is a first step in owner Carlos Ordaz-Nunez’s bid to make TBT El Gallo a bigger player in the Richmond-area restaurant scene. He also plans to buy a food truck and wants to add a third location as well.
“The goal is to turn TBT into a regional force. It bums me out when chains that aren’t from Richmond or Virginia are just showing up like, ‘Hi, we’re here,’” he said.
He’ll start with the 2,400-square-foot spot in Willow Lawn, for which he expects to sign a lease this week. Ordaz-Nunez said the space will seat about 60 people.
The menu will include items for which the restaurant gets the TBT part of its name: tacos, burritos and tortas. El gallo means the rooster in Spanish and is a reference to a nickname Ordaz-Nunez got as a kid after a bad haircut.
TBT El Gallo’s menu includes tacos, burritos and other Mexican cuisine.
The Willow Lawn location also will allow for beer and wine to be added to the menu, something Ordaz-Nunez doesn’t have at TBT El Gallo’s original location at 2118 W. Cary St., which he opened in March 2021.
“We’re takeout only,” he said. “We don’t have the crutch of alcohol to drive our sales.”
Ordaz-Nunez said customers have responded with a high level of enthusiasm to the concept in the year since he opened in the Fan and it has been successful despite the pandemic.
“The fact we were able to survive all these obstacles, it blows my mind,” he said. “I compare it to a pirate ship. It’s a bunch of people from everywhere trying to stay aloft as you take on water. We have to haul ass or we’ll drown.”
To fuel his expansion plans, Ordaz-Nunez is holding a fundraiser with a goal of $250,000 on WeFunder, a crowdfunding website that allows anyone to invest in companies in exchange for an equity stake. The campaign, which started early last week, had raised $85,550 Friday afternoon. Ordaz-Nunez said he has enough money to open the Willow Lawn spot, and additional funding will finance the food truck and third location.
There isn’t a timeline on when the third location would open and Ordaz-Nunez hasn’t decided where it would be located.
TBT El Gallo plans to take over the former Pie Five Pizza Co. that closed in 2019. (Jack Jacobs photo)
He said he decided to launch a Wefunder as a way to build a stronger connection with his restaurant’s following.
“I had an epiphany a couple months ago filling out paperwork for an SBA loan: Why was I letting this banker, this faceless corporation, profit off my company? I much rather have my community that has been in my corner since I was in the parking lot (benefit from it),” he said. “They are the ones that should profit off this.”
Ordaz-Nunez credited what he called a positive work environment and tip splitting among staff as factors in TBT El Gallo’s success. He said he hoped to offer health insurance and benefits to employees after the third location opens.
“Hospitality starts with how you treat your staff and I believe that. I do my best to be a good employer. Once you establish that love and care in your walls, it’ll radiate to the people you’re serving,” he said.
Pie Five shuttered its Willow Lawn location in 2019. Other eateries at Willow Lawn include IHOP, Cava Grill, Chopt and Five Guys among others.
TBT El Gallo owner Carlos Ordaz-Nunez plans to open a location at Willow Lawn shopping center. (Photos courtesy of TBT El Gallo)
A Fan-based takeout taco spot is looking to add a new, larger coop just over the county line.
TBT El Gallo has a deal in the works for a second location in the former Pie Five Pizza Co. space in Willow Lawn.
The expansion is a first step in owner Carlos Ordaz-Nunez’s bid to make TBT El Gallo a bigger player in the Richmond-area restaurant scene. He also plans to buy a food truck and wants to add a third location as well.
“The goal is to turn TBT into a regional force. It bums me out when chains that aren’t from Richmond or Virginia are just showing up like, ‘Hi, we’re here,’” he said.
He’ll start with the 2,400-square-foot spot in Willow Lawn, for which he expects to sign a lease this week. Ordaz-Nunez said the space will seat about 60 people.
The menu will include items for which the restaurant gets the TBT part of its name: tacos, burritos and tortas. El gallo means the rooster in Spanish and is a reference to a nickname Ordaz-Nunez got as a kid after a bad haircut.
TBT El Gallo’s menu includes tacos, burritos and other Mexican cuisine.
The Willow Lawn location also will allow for beer and wine to be added to the menu, something Ordaz-Nunez doesn’t have at TBT El Gallo’s original location at 2118 W. Cary St., which he opened in March 2021.
“We’re takeout only,” he said. “We don’t have the crutch of alcohol to drive our sales.”
Ordaz-Nunez said customers have responded with a high level of enthusiasm to the concept in the year since he opened in the Fan and it has been successful despite the pandemic.
“The fact we were able to survive all these obstacles, it blows my mind,” he said. “I compare it to a pirate ship. It’s a bunch of people from everywhere trying to stay aloft as you take on water. We have to haul ass or we’ll drown.”
To fuel his expansion plans, Ordaz-Nunez is holding a fundraiser with a goal of $250,000 on WeFunder, a crowdfunding website that allows anyone to invest in companies in exchange for an equity stake. The campaign, which started early last week, had raised $85,550 Friday afternoon. Ordaz-Nunez said he has enough money to open the Willow Lawn spot, and additional funding will finance the food truck and third location.
There isn’t a timeline on when the third location would open and Ordaz-Nunez hasn’t decided where it would be located.
TBT El Gallo plans to take over the former Pie Five Pizza Co. that closed in 2019. (Jack Jacobs photo)
He said he decided to launch a Wefunder as a way to build a stronger connection with his restaurant’s following.
“I had an epiphany a couple months ago filling out paperwork for an SBA loan: Why was I letting this banker, this faceless corporation, profit off my company? I much rather have my community that has been in my corner since I was in the parking lot (benefit from it),” he said. “They are the ones that should profit off this.”
Ordaz-Nunez credited what he called a positive work environment and tip splitting among staff as factors in TBT El Gallo’s success. He said he hoped to offer health insurance and benefits to employees after the third location opens.
“Hospitality starts with how you treat your staff and I believe that. I do my best to be a good employer. Once you establish that love and care in your walls, it’ll radiate to the people you’re serving,” he said.
Pie Five shuttered its Willow Lawn location in 2019. Other eateries at Willow Lawn include IHOP, Cava Grill, Chopt and Five Guys among others.
Hola, Carlos here, if anyone is interested in investing in TBT El Gallo’s growth and our campaign, the link is https://wefunder.com/tbtelgallo Gracias for everything, Richmond. We love ya.
Hola, Carlos! Wishing you all the best for great success in opening your new location – and for you to enjoy tremendous business growth in both the original Fan restaurant – and at Willow Lawn!
Wow, thanks for posting the link to your WeFunder, I also have not had your tacos yet, but you have a great reputation.
Quick question: what is the logic behind tae out spots not being able to offer cocktails to go? Most brick and mortars can do it, why not you guys? Or do you choose not to do it?
I can’t think of a more perfect team to move into that space! Willow Lawn is desperate for something local and authentic, and the Totally Badass Taquería is definitely those things. More tortas for The People!
I hope they do better than the Tijuana Flats that was next to Pie Five and closed despite being generally very busy.
Glad they are moving closer to me. The food and hospitality are great. On a S/N, never heard of Wefunder?!?! Will definitely be checking that site out. Didn’t know something like that even existed.
Carlos is a good guy, and his tacos are excellent. People should try them
Really looking forward to this new location. I have not had your tacos yet, but have been following you on Instagram and the food looks fantastic. The Willow Lawn location will be more convenient for me, so I plan to come and see you as soon as you open! Congratulations and good luck!