Husband and wife restauranteurs Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin had $50 in their checking account the day they opened their beloved taco shop Tacos Chiwas in 2016. Since then, the couple has wrapped enough tacos to increase their operating budget and become owners and co-owners of some of the hottest restaurants in the Valley: Tacos Chiwas, Espiritu Cocktails + Comida, and Bacanora.
Restaurant success isn’t that common right out of the gate, but the duo, who met at an ASU party, discovered they had similar back stories. Both were born in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, had immigrated to the U.S. as children, and were exposed to the food and restaurant industry early on. And both wanted to recreate the recipes of their youth.
“Everything is kind of against you,” says Hernandez of the challenges of opening a restaurant for the first time. “But when you’re so eager, you have this mentality of just like, ‘Hey, you know what? I think we can be successful and awesome.’”