Barry Boyett’s friends and family have always told him they love his cooking. In 2007, having already dabbled in catering, Barry realized he wanted to be in the restaurant business, but he also wanted to enjoy his family and especially his kids’ baseball. Breakfast tacos was the answer, and his business Hooked Up Tacos was born – which now sells over 60,000 tacos per year and caters numerous weddings, parties, and special events.
It wasn’t always easy. One of Barry’s initial difficulties in starting his own business was working long and early hours, about 60-70 hours per week sometimes. He is grateful, though, to have his two sons and his daughter pitching in to help through the years. In 2010, Hooked Up Tacos, initially a food trailer, suffered an unusual setback when it was unfortunately stolen. Determined to succeed, Barry regrouped and moved Hooked Up Tacos to its current location – a full kitchen inside the Valero at 12202 Ranch Road 620. Barry approached PeopleFund for a loan for signage, advertising, and working capital for the new location. He considers PeopleFund a business partner, stating “[PeopleFund] helped me grow my business.”
With 300 tacos being made each day, Barry reports business is “booming” now. He attributes this to delivering a unique and quality product at a competitive price. Customers rave about the green sauce, for example, and order his signature king casserole taco by the dozen. Hooked Up Tacos is also catering more special events – from weddings to hunting shoots. They have also cooked breakfast tacos for several movie and commercial venue sets here in and around Austin. Barry proudly offers “We will go the extra mile. We will attempt to accomplish anything.” Hooked Up Tacos can customize a menu to suit customers’ needs, whether it be BBQ, Italian, Mexican or good old American food.
As Barry looks to the future, he would love to see Hooked Up Tacos grow. He may even consider owning a full service restaurant one day, as long as he can split lunch and dinner responsibilities with a partner. For now, he is satisfied that the breakfast taco and catering business affords him the best of both worlds – food and family. He warns aspiring entrepreneurs that owning your own business takes patience and hard work. “Be ready to work a lot of hours,” he says. “If you don’t, you won’t make it.” The pay off? According to Barry, it’s being his own boss, serving the public, and seeing his business grow every year.
Hungry for more? Check out Hooked Up Tacos or place an order here.