Family Side Hustle to 8 Locations: Inside Guac Shop’s Growth | Luke Tesoriero - Guac Shop Mexican Grill

Staying Hungry is back for Season 2 and we’re kicking it off with Luke Tesoriero of Guac Shop, the fast-casual Mexican concept that went from a family side hustle to 8 locations (7 on Long Island + their first in Florida).In this episode, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Luke to unpack what really drives sustainable restaurant growth: real estate strategy, operational discipline, staff development, ingredient sourcing, value engineering, catering, and social media that actually moves the needle. If you’re a restaurant owner (or future one), Luke’s mix of humility + hard numbers craft a playbook you can steal immediately.Timestamps:00:00 – Quality vs quantity posting (why “purpose” matters)01:05 – Welcome + meet Luke (Guac Shop Season 2 kickoff)04:40 – The “Candy Club” side hustle that led to restaurants07:45 – Luke’s path: full-service roots → finance dreams → Guac Shop growth10:30 – Defining success: scaling people, not just locations13:20 – What separates Guac Shop (ingredients, procurement, consistency)18:10 – How consumer food awareness has changed since 201821:00 – Promotions + “elevated brand” positioning (9.99 meal deal logic)25:10 – Chili’s deep dive: margin moves, menu cuts, and value strategy31:40 – Frequency + lifetime value: the 3-visit customer rule34:30 – Operators Luke respects (pizza + fast casual standouts)42:00 – Florida expansion: why it happened + what surprised them49:20 – Community + fundraising as a growth flywheel53:40 – Catering strategy (schools, pharma reps, family meals)58:30 – Dietary restrictions + allergy-friendly operations1:02:40 – Social media strategy: authentic content, ROI, and experimentation1:10:30 – Recruiting + retention: building culture as you scale1:17:10 – Where Guac Shop goes next (3/5/10-year vision)1:20:30 – Luke’s go-to order + “Cheesy Gordita Crunch” ideaGuest & Sponsorship Inquiries - [email protected] episodes dropping soon! Subscribe, Like and Leave us a Comment Below! =================================================================*SUBSCRIBE* to this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@stayinghungrypodcast?sub_confirmation=1FOLLOW US:https://www.instagram.com/stayinghungrypodcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/4cfz4H7IIzUlEcGtwSgJMuhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573551302497https://www.linkedin.com/company/staying-hungry-podcast/Podcast by Viola Media: https://viola.media/#stayinghungry #hospitalityindustry #restaurantbusiness