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 restaurants

07:45 – Luke’s path: full-service roots → finance dreams → Guac Shop growth

10:30 – Defining success: scaling people, not just locations

13:20 – What separates Guac Shop (ingredients, procurement, consistency)

18:10 – How consumer food awareness has changed since 2018

21:00 – Promotions + “elevated brand” positioning (9.99 meal deal logic)

25:10 – Chili’s deep dive: margin moves, menu cuts, and value strategy

31:40 – Frequency + lifetime value: the 3-visit customer rule

34:30 – Operators Luke respects (pizza + fast casual standouts)

42:00 – Florida expansion: why it happened + what surprised them

49:20 – Community + fundraising as a growth flywheel

53:40 – Catering strategy (schools, pharma reps, family meals)

58:30 – Dietary restrictions + allergy-friendly operations

1:02:40 – Social media strategy: authentic content, ROI, and experimentation

1:10:30 – Recruiting + retention: building culture as you scale

1:17:10 – Where Guac Shop goes next (3/5/10-year vision)

1:20:30 – Luke’s go-to order + “Cheesy Gordita Crunch” idea

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