Kayla Vallejos has been cooking since she was 13 so it was only a matter of time before she would own a food operation.
Vallejos, the proud owner of Albuquerque-based Taste of Love food truck that launched in the spring of 2021, got her start working at Burger King and then moved on to waitressing and bartending. Along the way, her dream was to work in a kitchen, but she lacked the formal experience necessary to be hired by a restaurant. That was until the owners of a restaurant in her home state of New Jersey allowed her to cook for their patrons.
“A lot of places wouldn’t hire me because I was a woman and I didn’t have a formal background in cooking,” Vallejos said. The restaurant is “where I learned mostly everything, especially making homemade stuff.”
And it’s that home cooking she creates at Taste of Love. Specialties include the Jersey Smash Burger made with Taylor Ham; green chile alfredo fries; and handmade ravioli filled with Southwest flavors such as carne adovada and cheddar cheese before being fried to deliver a crisp exterior and soft filling.
The Loan Fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), helped Vallejos start the business by providing the financing she was unlikely to obtain elsewhere. The Loan Fund has been meeting the financing needs of an increasing number of food truck startups. In addition to Taste of Love, the lender has financed truck purchases and working capital for Stay in Your Lane and Smokin’ Good Bistro & Deli, among others.
“Food trucks are a great way to try a food business venture without the high overhead costs of a restaurant,” said Jennifer Silva, a loan officer at The Loan Fund. “They have grown in popularity over the years as TV shows have popularized the mobile food industry.”
Silva said many of the food truck entrepreneurs who come to The Loan Fund are in the startup phase. Many obtain a loan after their bank has declined to finance their operation. Traditional banks often refer entrepreneurs to The Loan Fund, where small loans can be provided and paid off in two to three years.
Vallejos said she probably wouldn’t have been able to get financing without The Loan Fund.
“It would have been a lot more difficult with all the fees,” she said. “The Loan Fund has been very helpful. It’s also local and it’s not through a bank — that’s what’s been good about it.“
The Loan Fund also offers business consulting services. Business owners seeking a loan can get help with strategic planning, organizational development, and cash-flow projections. When the loan is funded, borrowers can tap into additional services such as marketing and referrals to legal and tax professionals.
“Working with The Loan Fund helped me develop my business plan, ideas, and brand before getting started so that I was prepared to open a successful business when I received my loan.” – Amy Black, owner of The Supper Truck, another Loan Fund client.
For Vallejos and her wife Misty, a native New Mexican who also works in the business, a passion for food is as evident in their culinary creations as it is in the company name. The pair use fresh ingredients from their garden to craft a menu honoring the flavors of their home states.
“I just like to make other people happy with food,” Vallejos said. “To me, it’s really calming, I can just be creative and do what I want to do.”
Find the Taste of Love menu (and savory photos!) on its website and follow the truck (more mouth-watering photos) on Instagram and Facebook at @tasteoflove_foodtruck and @tasteoflovefoodtruck, respectively.
Learn more about The Loan Fund and contact them here.
Finance New Mexico article 724 courtesy of The Loan Fund.