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A Union that Makes Sense: Dual-Concept Joins Taqueria, Latin Dessert Spot
The Latin desserts including raspados and shaved ice topped with chamoy at Frutilandia have been a hit in the Phoenix area for 18 years. And the quesabirria tacos and birria ramen at Taqueria Factory have pleased Mexican food lovers since 2022.
Now fans of those restaurants can savor both in one trip. A dual-concept store featuring both brands has opened in the Arizona Mills outlet mall in Tempe and several others are in the works.
The idea for the union was born about a year and a half ago when Gamaliel Garfio and his wife Maria, who own both concepts, bought an old Walgreens location in Chandler, Arizona. There was plenty of room for both restaurants in the store, so they installed one of each, but not connected.
“We noticed that both were doing very well,” Garfio says. “So later when we came across the building in Arizona Mills, we thought we could try both menus in the same location. We opened on Black Friday and people love that they can get amazing tacos and their desserts in the same place.”
Birth of Frutilandia
When the Garfios moved to the Phoenix area from Los Angeles 18 years ago, they discovered that genuine Mexican desserts were hard to find. They had enjoyed fresas con crema, shaved ice topped with fruit and syrup, and other treats from countless businesses in LA.
“Here in Arizona there weren’t any restaurants like that at the time,” says Garfio, who had run a Los Angeles bakery with his wife. “So, we decided to start something to offer these kinds of desserts to the community.”
Today, Frutilandia has 10 locations in the Phoenix area. The concept’s growth has been fueled by franchising, which the Garfios started doing about five years ago. The Garfios own one location and the other nine belong to franchisees.
“The advantage of franchising is that we are able to grow faster because it’s somebody else investing in the restaurant, using our logo, systems, designs, recipes and mentoring,” Garfio says. “And for the franchisee, you could have individuals who have been wanting to open a restaurant but don’t know how, so they can go with the franchise option and drop into something that is already established.”
The franchisees pay the Garfios a 5 percent royalty and 2 percent marketing fee, based on sales. They buy some things from the company, such as the house-made natural fruit syrups, uniforms and logo clear cups, and buy the rest from a list of preferred suppliers.
Expanding to Mexican Classics
A few years ago, the Garfios decided to expand their business with a new concept focused on traditional Mexican menu items. They launched Taqueria Factory in 2022 in Chandler, Arizona. Eight months later they began franchising, and now there are three franchised locations and two more in the works.
“We’re in a very competitive market, especially for Mexican food. What makes us unique is the fact that we are very strict when it comes to sticking to authentic recipes with fresh, high-quality ingredients,” Garfio says. “People notice the difference and they tend to get hooked on Taqueria Factory.”
One of the most popular menu items is the al pastor tacos.
“We make our own marinade for the meat and we make the al pastor trompo from scratch,” Garfio says. “Not many restaurants do it that way because of the intense labor involved. We stack the sliced meat, then pour on the marinade, then another layer of meat, another layer of marinade for several layers. Then the pan is covered with plastic and put in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours to cure. Then early in the morning we build the trompo layer by layer in the vertical broiler. By the time we open the first layer of meat starts to complete its cooking process so people are able to enjoy a delicious al pastor taco or burrito or nachos.”
Another hit is the trendy fusion dish birria ramen. Garfio says he rejected the idea when someone in the kitchen suggested it, but when they offered him a plate of it later in the day he was sold.
“It was such a great combination,” he says. “It was on our menu the following day.”
Merging the Concepts
Now the Garfios are working on the ultimate combination: Frutilandia + Taqueria Factory. Garfio says Fruitlandia makes the fresh fruit syrups used for Taqueria Factory’s margaritas and other cocktails, so there has always been a connection between the two concepts. Completing the union just makes sense.
The Tempe store was built from scratch with the two-in-one concept in mind. Three dual-concept stores currently in the works, which started as Frutilandia shops, are being reconfigured to accommodate the Taqueria Factory menu.
The advantages for an operator of a joint operation in terms of labor, efficient use of space, and managing supplies are evident. But for Garfio, the real winner is the customer.
“By combining the best of both worlds with Frutilandia and Taqueria Factory, we aim to provide our guests with an enhanced food and beverage experience in a one-stop location.”
Welcome to el Restaurante’s Digital Debut!
It might look the same as every issue of el Restaurante that you’ve ever seen…and it is, except for one big difference: This issue is ONLY available online in our new digital format.
The new format includes the same beautifully designed magazine we’ve always created in 3 versions: as a flip book you can read online and download to your device; a web-optimized version, with every article featured in a special section of our website for convenient, scrollable reading; and a Spanish-only version in the same web-optimized format.
Since you no longer have the option to get el Restaurante in print, we need you to officially subscribe so we can deliver all of our award-winning content, up-to-date industry news, recipes, contest information and more to your device.
Don’t miss a single issue! Scan the QR code at right, email your email address to Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@restmex.com, or subscribe at https://bit.ly/SubscribeRestaurante.
Cross-Cultural Cooking Named “The Trend of the Year”
If you want to tap into the trend that’s predicted to be the top one of 2024, consider adding a dish or two that fits into the “cross-cultural” category.
The recently released Hospitality Trends Report for 2024 from marketing and communications firms af&co and Carbonate lists Cross-Cultural Cooking as The Trend of the Year and explains why this way: “American food is a multi-ethnic melting pot and today's restaurants are a reflection of that. Instead of hanging their hat on a slice of regional cooking, chefs in 2023 are rejecting the rigid idea of authenticity in exchange for something more reflective of the contemporary and diverse American experience, offering new combinations and menus that can't be easily labeled or contained.”
The report highlighted several restaurants that exemplify the trend with dishes that feature elements of Mexican culinary culture:
- Little Bull in Durham, North Carolina. Birria Dumplings with braised goat wontons, consome, and traditional Mexican accoutrements star on the
- menu.
- Fatima’s Grill, with locations in Southern California and Brooklyn, New York. The menu of Halal Mexican Mediterranean fare features Shawarma Crunch Wraps and bottled “Lebamex” hot sauce.
- Vera Cocina in Washington, DC. Mexican Lebanese dishes include Fattoush Tostadas and Shakshuka with poblano crema.*Good Luck Gato in Oakland, California. The “izakaya cantina” offers dishes such Okonomiyaki Baked Potato with carnitas, tonkatsu sauce, Kewpie mayo, scallions, nori and bonito flakes.
Does your restaurant have a cross-cultural dish you’d like to share? Email Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@restmex.com and we’ll feature it on our website and social media platforms!
Click here to go to the next article in this edition, Five Questions