CASSELBERRY, Fla. – Jake Wheeler is no stranger to the restaurant industry or Tex-Mex cuisine. Both have always been a part of his and his family’s livelihoods.
“Back in 1995, (my dad) launched Tijuana Flats. In 2015, he sold it. So now we’re here and it’s my turn to take the reins and do something new,” Jake Wheeler said.
The family also owns Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen and Jake Wheeler had been working there as a manager, handling events and marketing.
Jake Wheeler and his father, Brian Wheeler, opened Big Taco in Casselberry in early November. Jake Wheeler said his dad had been getting restless since retiring.
“The way this went is my dad, he retired about four or five years ago,” Jake Wheeler said. “He got bored in retirement — like one day, I walked outside and he had our dog on the jetski in the backyard. So he gets bored. He always wants something new and he thought, ‘You know if I’m going to be spending my money and resources to do something, how about I help out my kids?’ So he said, ‘I was good at Tex-Mex and I think we could do it again.’ So then he came up with Big Taco and the whole idea of this was to provide an outlet for me and my brother to take the reins, run, do our thing and hopefully create another Tex-Mex empire.”
[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]
Jake Wheeler said Big Taco had been a nickname for his dad since the elder Wheeler opened up Tijuana Flats.
“He’s been called Big Taco since 1995,” Jake Wheeler said. “His friends gave it to him. They would hang out, ‘Hey, Big Taco, what’s up?’”
Taking command of Big Taco has proved something of a challenge for Jake Wheeler. He had restaurant experience with running Tibby’s, but Big Taco is a completely different setup.
Find every episode of Florida Foodie on YouTube:
“I had no clue of how to run a fast-casual restaurant,” Jake Wheeler said. “Luckily had the training of the full service, which is a much bigger operation. I wouldn’t say it’s easier or more difficult than this, but once I came here to the fast-casual setting, it was kind of refreshing.”
The decision to open in Casselberry was a strategic one. Jake Wheeler said the idea was to save money on rent while building up a reputation.
“We thought Casselberry is a great place — you have a family environment, a good town, and we’re not breaking the bank and we could really build a good community here. Our neighboring restaurants — Bagel King and Anthony’s — they’ve been here for 20-plus years. They’re all very respected. So we decided we go next to them so we can build that same reputation that they have.”
On the latest episode of Florida Foodie, Jake Wheeler talks about what makes Big Taco unique from Tijuana Flats. He also talks about the artwork on display inside the restaurant and shows off some of the most popular menu items.
Please follow our Florida Foodie hosts on social media. You can find Candace Campos on Twitter and Facebook. Lisa Bell is also on Facebook and Twitter and you can check out her children’s books, “Norman the Watchful Gnome.”
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: