Check Out Benny Gutierrez Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Benny Gutierrez.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always been known as the “Cook” when it comes to entertaining family and friends. Over the years I have received so much feedback that I should open a restaurant. During the Covid lockdown in 2020 I was traveling a lot for work as a contractor for several power plants. While I was in Kansas for work one of my good friends called me up and told me how he had been watching the show “Chef” and it inspired him to want to start a food truck. I was the first person he thought about partnering with, he started explaining his idea and thoughts, before he could finish I was instantly sold and said YES!

I figured I had nothing to lose and wanted nothing more than to be home with my family and doing what I love, making great food for people. I wrapped up my work in Kansas and when I got home we started the process of building our truck and doing our research for all the steps needed to move forward.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, starting a business isn’t gonna be all smooth but the main thing was the research and development part. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what’s gonna appeal to the masses because I didn’t want to be another taco truck. The market in Phoenix is saturated with taco trucks that are well established. It was not a market I was wanting to compete with. A huge hurdle to overcome was funding expenses with any new business add up very quickly, there are many elements to consider: permitting, truck cost, supplies, equipment, marketing, insurance, the list goes on and on.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do not have formal training or a really extensive culinary background. I’ve always been interested in cooking my whole life and have been watching cooking shows since I can remember. I’m pretty much self-taught and learned from trial and error. I really started getting passionate about cooking for others when I would host parties and get-togethers, I’d always be the one in the kitchen making food. The feedback from others really stuck with me at first I did not think much of it but it seemed consistently I would hear “you need to sell this!” or “open a restaurant”, that’s when I realized maybe I have something here.

I started out making BBQ and feeding everyone all the time but when I did research when it came to the truck, I had to think scale-wise about what I can feasibly put out that won’t take up a lot of space. I wanted to stick with BBQ while adding a Latin flare, that is when I came up with the Messy Mijo burger. I am very passionate about fresh quality ingredients that I would want to eat or feed my family. The quality of my burger and the other items on my truck is what makes us stand out. Quality over quantity is the motto of the truck, I believe if you use good ingredients and put love into what you are putting out the food will speak for itself.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up with a single mother household, quality food was not something we saw a lot of. My family came from lower income but my mom always did her best to provide what she could as a single mother of two boys. Unfortunately for her that meant working a lot and not being home as much as we would have liked her to be. My brother and I had many meals that involved microwaving but we always looked forward to when my mom was able to cook, everything she made was alway delicious. She has always been a great cook, she was taught by her mom (my grandma), we ate mostly Mexican food. As a young kid my mom and I would watch the food network all day every day! I learned so much during that time and would hope that one day I would have my own cooking show.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.instagram.com/dosmijos_foodtruck
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/dosmijos_foodtruck
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/dosmijosfoodtruck
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/0HSdx2SPkyb

Image Credits
C & Z Photography