MIHO GASTROTRUCK
MINDS THAT MOVE
Not your ordinary Roach Coach…
By Seth Watje
Photos: Ollie Neglerio
Web: MIHOGASTROTRUCK.com
Twitter: @ MIHOGASTROTRUCK
Favorite Happy Hour: “Homi Hour” at The Whistle Stop Bar every Friday 5:30-7:30pm
Favorite Food Truck besides your own: Skillet in Seattle
What is something only a local would know about San Diego?
Hmmm, I gotta think about this one. Oh yeah, the Hotel Del is the largest wooden structure in the US.
What did you do before starting your Food Truck?
I worked at The Linkery, which is where I met my business partner Kevin. For a while we were doing underground Beer Dinners and before that I worked for Starbucks for seven years.
What made you launch your own Food Truck?
Doing the Beer Dinners was a huge creative outlet. We are passionate about food, music, drinks, design, fashion, entertaining, and we wanted to create something of our own that encompassed all these. I found out about the Food Truck movement happening in other great cities like Austin, Seattle, SF, and LA, and realized that this would be our next endeavor.
How’d you come up with MIHO as the name for your Food Truck?
My wife Farra actually came up with the name. At first, we kinda brushed it off and said we would try and think of others, but started using it in our business plan and then it naturally just continued. My last name is Miron (MI) and Kevin’s last name is HO, so the letters were just combined. Plus, in Spanish it’s a term of endearment, mi hijo or mijo. We call our followers HOMI’s so it was a natural fit all around.
What separates you from other Food Trucks?
Where do I start? MIHO GASTROTRUCK uses fresh, local, and thoughtfully sourced ingredients to create hand crafted street food that is affordable, convenient and delicious. We see MIHO serving restaurant quality food served out of a truck. Every single thing we do gets a lot of time, thought, and research put into it before moving forward. Whether it’s our music playlist, our sourcing, the way the menu looks, our collaborations, the design, it always needs to represent the MIHO brand well.
What is your most popular item on the menu?
Our grass fed beef burger, hand down! The burger changes every two to three weeks, but it’s still everyone’s favorite. We have done a Harissa Burger, Bleu Cheese Burger, Grilled Peach Burger, Au Poivre Burger, BBQ Burger, but our favorite one of them all has gotta be the Classic Burger. Its has grass fed beef, local heirloom tomato, red onions, local Bibb leaf lettuce, all natural cheddar cheese, hand made thousand island aioli, all on a brioche bun.
How much gas do you use a week?
A lot! We go through about 50 to 60 gallons a week.
What was one of the biggest hurdles that you had to overcome to get where you are today?
The biggest hurdle was getting the financing to start MIHO. It took us about five months of fine salesmanship.
How did you fund the start-up?
A local non-profit called ACCION that lends loans to small businesses and a personal loan got us started. We spent about three months of full-time work on our business plan, while at night going to our jobs at The Linkery. We also traveled to other cities and did research. So when we presented our Business Plan to a local non-profit we convinced them to believe in us.
Have you ever hit rock bottom?
I remember last July when Kevin, who handles our finances, said “hey, we are not looking to great with our operating capital, and we can’t cash our paychecks for a while.”
This was so hard to swallow, because although we felt strong about our company and its future, there was also a chance that we could not have driven as much business as we currently did to sustain ourselves. Right after that conversation we walked into a local food vendor warehouse and saw a famous local chef buying harissa from a tube. We looked at ourselves and wondered how many people appreciated the fact that we made our harissa from scratch, knowing that the cost and labor is way higher. Obviously, our HOMI’s did appreciate that and have not stopped supporting us. They are the reason why we are still here.
What are you day-to-day duties?
We both work on the truck two to three days a week. I handle all the catering, special events, marketing and PR. Kevin handles all the finances, administrative, and operating duties. It’s a great balance as we are both great in those areas and always support each other’s decisions.
What has been your biggest accomplishment or all-time high as a company?
Our one year anniversary was a fantastic realization. We have worked hard to create a business where we get to explore our passions, sustain the livelihood of us and our employees, all while bringing San Diegan’s locally sourced, hand crafted street food.
Best business decision to date: Having believed in ourselves, our team, and listening to our HOMI’s.
Worst business decision to date: I feel there are no wrong decisions. You can always improve in an area of adjust to meet the demands of the business.
What advice would you give someone thinking about starting a Food Truck?
Truckin’ ain’t easy! Do your research and do it very thoroughly.
What’s next for you?
Second truck is launching in the next month and will be focusing on servicing our north county HOMI’s and more special event and catering.
What’s something about yourself that many don’t know?
I grew up in Tijuana and went to school in San Diego from Kindergarten through 12th. So, I have pretty much crossed the border over 3,000 times. That’s a lot of time spent in car, but well worth it!
FIND US!
Sun: SUNDAY FUNDAY at The Lafayette Hotel & Swim Club, North Park 1-4pm
Mon: 8690 Balboa Avenue, Kearny Mesa, 11:30-1:30pm
Tue: 5600 Oberlin Drive, Sorrento Valley 11:30-1:30pm
Wed: 12700 High Bluff Drive, Del Mar Heights 11:30-1:30pm
Thu: 5600 Oberlin Drive, Sorrento Valley 11:30-1:30pm
Fri: 9374 Town Ctr. Drive, UTC, 11:30-1:30pm & HOMI HOUR at The Whistle Stop in South Park 5:30-7:30pm
Sat: Catering or Special Events
Also, check our MIHO’s website for nightly locations.
