Unknown Waters

One of the greatest aspects of starting and owning a new company is the excitement of venturing into the unknown.  I sometimes make the comparison of starting Coup de Taco to the first time I ever went cliff jumping.  I’d seen other people jump the 45 foot cliff and saw them swim away safely at the bottom.  I saw the sheer excitement and fear on the jumpers faces as they leaped off the cliff and then the huge smile as they emerged from the deep pond below.  I watched a bunch of them do it first and analyzed the risks involved.  I learned while observing before I attempted – wear sneakers, hold my nose, jump a good few feet out away from the ledge.

With Coup de Taco it’s admittedly not nearly as scary but some similar feelings and principles apply.  For example, for almost a year we’ve had the plan to make 40th and Locust our home.  We’ve stayed there day in and day out seeking to build a loyal following Monday through Friday.  But we’ve watched on the sidelines as food trucks across the nation and in Philadelphia switch locations while Tweeting their next move.  Just in Philly we know of three or four trucks that each have thousands of followers on Twitter and long lines for their limited appearances on specified days.  After evaluating the risks and rewards we’re getting ready to jump off.

We will still remain at 40th and Locust for three or four days a week, ensuring that our home base customers know they can readily find us there.  However, starting this week we will head to the famous and wonderful Love Park in Center City at 15th and JFK from 11am – 2pm one day a week (this week it’s Friday but it will usually be on Thursdays).  We’re excited to give Center City a shot and to see if we can quickly generate a following there.  We’re not sure if this will alienate our customers who walk up to our location on Friday not having read this blog or our Tweets to follow.  Over the summer we received some complaints for not being open and not adequately informing our local customers, which is why I’m hoping this blog’s info will reach far and wide.  We hope that our University City clientele understands that we’re trying to broaden our customer base and bring delicious tacos throughout the Philadelphia region but we are taking the risk of potentially confusing and aggravating some of our loyal customers.

The first time I jumped off the 45 foot cliff my arm swung out to the side and was fixed parallel to the water below.  When the underside of my arm hit the surface of the water flat it stung like a bad belly flop.  However, compared to the excitement, joy, elation and outpouring of intense emotion that I experienced during the trip down, that sting was just a tiny blip on the radar and I jumped again and again afterward.

Center City, get ready, we’re about to jump in!