Hardware Podcasts

Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka

How I Built This · 28 Jul 2025 · 1h 24m

What this episode covers

Mike Rypka, founder of Torchy's Tacos, recounts his journey from a troubled youth to building a national chain with over 130 locations and $300 million in annual sales. He details the early struggles of launching a single food truck in Austin, including a landlord cutting off power and a risky pumpkin patch venture that unexpectedly saved the business. Rypka explains how he differentiated Torchy's with gourmet street tacos, navigated early financial crises, and later managed scaling challenges, including a lawsuit against a copycat chain and a leadership transition to professional management before returning as CEO.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Torchy's Tacos, U.S. Bank, Enron, Dell, General Atlantic, Texas Roadhouse, California Pizza Kitchen
Also
Johnson and Wales

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