Damian Otero and Miguel Hernandez, owners of Rreal Tacos, may not have much experience working in restaurants, but that has not stopped them from upending the traditional model of opening their own. From acquiring spaces to training staff, they are doing everything on their own terms, and this daring and unconventional approach is paying off.

Ortero and Hernandez, who both come from the world of direct sales, have taken a much more daring approach to acquiring and opening new spaces. Sometimes they work with a broker and go the more traditional route of finding a space that is open to lease. But if they see something they like that is not for sale, they go after it anyway.

Ortero keeps an extra T-shirt in his car in case he sees a space he likes while driving around. A quick change gives him a more casual appearance so he can go right into the business and observe operations firsthand before tracking down the owner.

“I’ll find the owner online and guess their email address,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll send them a direct message and say, ‘Is this place for sale?’ And they’ll say, ‘maybe.’” He recently closed a six-figure deal via an Instagram direct message. Everything is for sale for the right price. 

Their newest Rreal Tacos location in Sugar Hill is set to open in a record 60 days. They rely on landing deals with restaurants that are already up and running. Acquiring these second-generation spaces makes for faster, easier and less expensive openings. Rreal Tacos is operating completely debt-free, and each expansion has been accomplished with profits.

“Time is money,” Otero says. “If it takes 18 months to open, that can cost $900,000, but if we can open a place in three months, that saves us a lot.”

How do they manage to open doors so quickly? By acquiring restaurants that are already equipped and ready to go and having a team that is ready to go. Instead of hiring and training new staff members with each opening, they over-hire, train many employees, and send them to newly opened spaces. This “time is money” philosophy is paying off for both the owners and their staff.

“The most exciting part has been seeing peoples’ lives change,” Otero says. “Some of our top performers, who have been with us for two years, are now partners and have equity in our growing company. We are creating generational wealth and helping people make life-changing money.”

Rreal Tacos is capitalizing on its success with Georgia locations in Midtown Atlanta, West Midtown Atlanta, Chamblee, Sandy Springs, and Cumming. A recently announced location in Sugar Hill will open by the end of the year followed by a Buckhead location in spring 2024.

For more information, visit Rreal Tacos or follow the restaurant on Instagram, or TikTok (@rrealtacos) for updates on food and drink content as well as business updates. Rreal Tacos accepts reservations via OpenTable.