‘We’re ready for this’: Local brothers expand popular taco truck business

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Omar Galvan’s dream is not to own a taco truck.

The 28-year-old food entrepreneur is looking for mobile kitchens loaded with kusabiaria that operate daily at breweries across the county. And this month, a shiny red car is about to get closer to that dream.

Galvan and his brother Evan, 24, own Galvan’s, a popular restaurant in Shady Oak, Old Kaz, Cooperative and Henhouse breweries. Known for their scallion shrimp tacos, brioche grilled cheese sandwiches, loaded carne asada fries and meat quesabirria, the young duo has a very loyal following on Instagram while popping up at breweries in Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa.

That popularity allowed the first-generation immigrants to purchase two food trailers in less than two years for a total of $143,000, Omar Galvan said. The brothers bought their first 16-by-8-foot trailer for $56,000 with money borrowed from their family. They bought the second one for $87,000 in cash from their profits and will add it to their schedule after they get it this month.

Crispy Pancho is a surf and turf option at Galvan Restaurant in Santa Rosa. (Galvan Restaurant)

Omar credits books and street art for his rapid growth. Hard work helps too, working long days at their parent’s Windsor Market and Taqueria starting at 5am.

“I have street smarts, Evan has book smarts, and we’re both very detail-oriented,” Omar said on a recent Sunday afternoon at Henhouse Brewing in Santa Rosa. Both brothers have business degrees (Evan recently received an MBA) and were college athletes.

After working in tech at Paychex and Yelp in San Francisco, Omar decided to take a leap of faith in October 2020 and start a food business.

“Working at Yelp, I got to understand how small business owners think,” says Omar. Growing up helping out at his parents’ markets and taquerias, Martins has spent his life working in the food industry.

We are a business oriented family. “When I was 13, I wanted to be a butcher at my father’s store,” he said.

In a way, the Pandemic brothers found it useful to launch their first food truck. When Sonoma County’s Covid-19 guidelines forced breweries to offer sit-down dining if they wanted to serve alcohol, food trucks had a new opportunity. Without on-site kitchens, breweries have turned to food trucks to fulfill their mandate to serve food. Almost immediately, fine brewery tasting rooms became family-friendly brewpubs where dogs, kids and friends gathered at outdoor picnic tables for a penny and a few tacos.

“It just snowballed. Omar, who started his startup business in late October 2020, said. Galvan Restaurant grew exponentially over the next two years.

“Everything’s become more compatible, and families are now (at breweries),” he said. That means adding kid-friendly grilled cheese sandwiches and quesadillas to the taco, torta and burrito lineup.

Omar also said, “I am among the people, getting to know our people and their likes and dislikes.” When not at the grill, the brothers chat with their customers; Some have become new friends.

Recent social media engagement has become a boon to their business. Their Instagram account (@galvanseatery) has nearly 8,000 followers and lists their spots, pictures of their customers, and mouth-watering tacos on the grill.

While the brothers first purchased their first food truck, a bright red truck they call Trailer #1, months ago for brewery pop-ups, the brothers bought a replica of Trailer #2, which Evan manages. Work is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks, and the brothers are looking for two more employees to join their existing team of six.

After the afternoon orders were mixed and before evening diners arrived at the Henhouse on that hot Sunday, Omar sat outside his truck drinking a cold beer. He envisions a day when beer and food trailers from all the breweries he and Evan have worked with will have a large tap house slinging beer and tacos from end to end of Sonoma County.

“We’re ready for this,” he said.

Best bet

Crispy Hot Dog, $4.99: The Galvan brothers named this dish after their friend Pancho, who came up with a surf-and-turf taco combo including shrimp and biriya, topped with tender roast beef. Historically biriya is made with goat or lamb, but unless otherwise specified, it is usually beef. The meat is seasoned with spices (typically cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and chili) and served with consommé, a rich sauce for dipping.

Beer Grilled Cheese, $12.99: Grilled Texas toast topped with melted cheese and topped with tender beer. It’s delicious garbage.

Carne Asada Grill, $15.99: Spiced fries are the staple food for this mountain. Topped with grilled steak (carne asada), mozzarella cheese, cream, pico de gallo and jalapeños. One service is enough for one nation.

Find Galvan Eatery on Instagram @Galvanseatery or call 707-836-5087.

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