Tacotarian Built a Vegan Restaurant Chain Chasing the ‘Other 97%’ Instead of Preaching to the Choir

Kristen Corral, co-founder of Tacotarian, has helped grow the plant-based Mexican restaurant brand into a six-location company through creator-driven marketing, founder-led storytelling, and community-focused content designed to reach far beyond the traditional vegan audience.

Watch now to learn how Tacotarian built a vegan brand for the other 97%, why “cringe” content works, and how Kristen Corral uses storytelling to make customers feel like they belong.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[03:15] - Marketing to the Other 97%

[13:40] - Building Community Beyond Social Media

[16:28] - Loyalty Programs and Digital Hospitality

[19:28] - TEDx, Personal Branding, and Recruiting

[22:45] - Being “Cringey”

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

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PEPSICO IS A SPONSOR OF THE RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS PODCAST —

Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders.

Check out PepsiCo Foodservice

Episode Links:

Kristen Corral LinkedIn

Kristen Corral

Kristen Corral Instagram

Women In Restaurant Leadership

Tacotarian Instagram

Tacotarian Facebook

Tacotarian Tik Tok

Tacotarian Pinterest

Key Takeaways:

Marketing Beyond the 3%: Tacotarian built its brand around making vegan food feel approachable to everyone, not just the small percentage of customers who already identify as vegan or vegetarian.

Founder Content Builds Connection: Kristen Corral says customers respond more to personality than polished branding, which is why founder videos and behind-the-scenes content

outperform static restaurant marketing.

“Cringe” Content Still Works: Even though Corral admits being on camera can feel uncomfortable, she believes restaurant owners who avoid content creation are missing opportunities to build community and reach new customers.

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ABOUT KRISTEN CORRAL —

Kristen Corral is a passionate entrepreneur, advocate, and the co-founder of Tacotarian, an award-winning plant-based restaurant chain redefining the way people experience plant-based cuisine. Since its inception in 2018, Tacotarian has expanded to six locations, is now franchising across the U.S., and has launched a retail line available in grocery stores nationwide. Kristen's deep-rooted belief that food is more than just sustenance—it’s a connector, a mood-changer, and a force for good—has driven her to build a brand that seamlessly blends culinary innovation with community impact.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media