Danny Trejo Proves Celebrity Restaurants Can Work
Photo Caption: Actor Danny Trejo lends his name and image to his LA-based restaurant chain, but his involvement goes far beyond image alone.
Skift Take
It was never Danny Trejo’s goal to open a chain of Mexican restaurants, but when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at the chance. Now with only two other partners, he has a string of Trejo’s Tacos, Cantinas and Coffee & Donuts shops around Los Angeles, with more cities targeted for 2019.
Celebrity-backed restaurants are nothing new, but none are as obvious about it as Danny Trejo’s string of Mexican taquerias and donut shops, Trejo's Tacos, in Los Angeles. It’s not just by name — his familiar face is the logo of the brand on everything from signage to housemade hot sauces on every table. But unlike behind-the-scenes investors, Trejo is as hands-on as his acting schedule allows, from checking in on the different Southern California locations to handing out 1,200 free tacos during Super Bowl LIII festivities in Atlanta.
“I taste everything offered in the restaurant,” he said. “Now and then I send friends of mine in to report on stuff, and I’ve never gotten a bad report. So I know the employees are on their game. People ask what’s my secret, and I say it’s just good food. Nobody will come back for bad food.”
Trejo, whose real-life positive attitude and gracious demeanor is a far cry from the hardened bad guy he portrays on the big and small screen, i
