The Founder of Chronic Tacos Talks About His Journey on The Zest
Randy Wyner founded Chronic Tacos in 2002. Since then, he’s expanded to more than 30 locations including storefronts in Japan and Canada. He grew up in Orange and his mom was a teacher in Santa Ana. He recalls enjoying authentic Mexican food at local taquerias, and when he eventually moved to Newport Beach, he noticed a lack of those. In partnership with his friend Daniel Biello, he decided to open the first taco shop in Newport Beach, which took much longer than they had anticipated. They eventually opened their second store in Huntington Beach and were able to shorten the opening timeframe down with each new location. Wyner remembers when a local media outlet covered Chronic Tacos, and before they knew it, they had a line out the door.
He also shares when Chronic Tacos collaborated with Dexter Holland’s Gringo Bandito sauce to put on a taco eating contest and professional competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi came and ate over 100 tacos in just 10 minutes. In addition to partnering with Holland, Wyner has partnered with Jason Acuña, known for his role as Wee Man on “Jackass.” Host Chelsea Raineri shares an anecdote about how she met Wyner before he moved into her old apartment. Be sure to tune in to also hear Wyner’s favorite Chronic Tacos order!
At the end of the episode, Wyner answers the “Thoughtful Three” and gives insight into how to keep a work-life balance, what moments in his career have had the biggest impact on who he is today, and what advice he would share with someone who is hoping to get into the restaurant business.
