Today we’d like to introduce you to Spencer Herrera & Dallas Olson.
Hi Spencer & Dallas, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
We both have a background in either food or beverage service. Chef Dallas Olson was truly a rolling stone of the culinary world, working in places as far as Alaska and all over Salt Lake City. Spencer Herrera, his wife, worked as a barista since the age of 17 and eventually transitioned into bartending and serving. In 2016, we discovered we were expecting our first child! With great excitement came great fear, specifically revolving around our very non-baby-friendly schedules.
So to take some control back over our own lives we decided the best move would be to quit our current positions and start something on our own!! We found out about our pregnancy on February 3rd and had a food truck purchased by the 11th!! It was by far the craziest thing we had ever done career-wise. Luckily, we had support on our side. The Herrera family provided us with free rent for a year while we got on our feet and hit the pavement, a truly invaluable act of kindness and support on their end.
When it turned out the food truck was a success we were allotted a lot of freedom with our schedules, the baby came and we worked around his needs. Food trucking is no easy task and our hats are off to those who do it and do it well, but for us it allowed us to be with our child so we valued that time on the road, so to speak.
In 2020, we eased off a bit due to the pandemic and started serving the breweries only, simply to limit our exposure to covid. But business was slow and we were looking for the next opportunity when we found this wonderful space available in Holladay!! So again, without too much of a plan we signed a long lease and got started.
But again, none of this would have been possible without the support of our friends and family. Our lifelong friend Ed Stringham both invested in us as well as hooked us up with our amazing architect, Our brother in law who just so happens to be a general contractor took on the project for free and the Herera Family took out a second mortgage on their home to make this all possible.
Fácil is nothing without family, friends, and community and we try to emulate that every day that we are open or even posting online. We’re a group of best friends and family members who love seeing each other, spending time together, and collaborating.
While Chef Dallas Olson drives the ship and comes up with the recipes and Operation Manager Spencer Herrera takes care of the finances and creates the bar program everyone is all hands in at all times. We didn’t even have a dishwasher until several months ago because our people were so willing to work interchangeably and wanted to help their co-workers out.
The food is inspired by Chef Dallas’ Spanish background but was also influenced a lot by his childhood. His best friend’s mother would cook him delicious Mexican fare whenever he would visit, which as someone who ate mostly canned and frozen at home was a true delight!!!
So a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a whole hell of a lot of community brought this place together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
NO! And quite literally! Some of our most frustrating moments are also some of our most hilarious memories now.
I remember in 2016 when we first started trucking the bumps in the road would take us down!!! food was constantly spilling, hitting the brakes would throw the oven door open destroying our mise. Our rear axle fell off going 65 on Interstate 15, there’s a saying that people don’t see bikes or motorcycles but they don’t see food trucks either, it’s a wild wild ride out there!!
Remodeling this place on a shoestring budget was also quite challenging. We taught ourselves to tile, paint, fix fridges, ovens, and any equipment you name it, Staffing was hard and sometimes still is (luckily the team we have now is a dream).
People also sometimes don’t understand us, which is fine; not every customer is our customer and we accept that. But there seems to be this misconception that just because a menu item is Mexican-inspired it should be dirt cheap. And we just simply don’t agree with that. We love Mexican food and I think many people would be surprised by the time, effort, and rich history of most dishes.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a sit-down or takeaway, non-traditional taqueria. We are passionate about smoke, spirits, spices, and local farms. We strive to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. When people walk through the door they’re greeted warmly and thanked as they exit.
We are also launching a very extensive catering program that will be suitable for all events and of all sizes. Friend and family operated, by Salt Lake City locals!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Yes! Save your money, support your community, and look out for your staff before yourself.
Pricing:
- Tacos range from $5 -$7
- Burritos range from $12 – $15
- Ceviches, Mussels, and Fish Specials range from $15-$20
- Cocktails range from $7- $13
- N/A Beverages range from $2 – $7
Contact Info:
- Website: www.faciltaqueria.com
- Instagram: @faciltaqueria
- Facebook: Facil Taqueria
