From Busboy to Boss
Ken Nascimento wants to share the success he’s found running subways and Taco Del Mars. In these tough economic times, it is easy to grumble about finances, bemoan gas prices and whine about the price of everything - and we do mean everything - going up. But for local boy Ken Nascimento, he sees it as not only a business opportunity. In these tough economic times, it is easy to
By Chad Pata
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sional people with gloves on right in front of them, how they want it made.”
Serving as the master developer for Taco del Mar allows him to help others achieve that first step of owning their own business, and lets him keep a promise that he made when he was first starting out.
“I remember the first successful businessman I approached,” says Nascimento, “and he told me, ‘Ken, the only thing I want you to do is, if you ever become successful, help someone else out who is in the same position that you are in now.’”
Aiding others extends beyond helping them open new franchises. In the past month, Nascimento has donated more than 1,000 sandwiches to charity events such as golf tournaments for Junior Diabetes and kids’ football camps.
He also is helping out his sister, Diane Malina, in realizing her dream of opening a Hawaiian Food/Saimin Shop in Ewa Beach called Kiana’s Kitchen.
As for looking for new people to help start up their business, this is what really gets him up in the morning.
“Ten years ago I was one of them,” says Nascimento, who also is opening the first Taco del Mar in Guam in September. “During the first year, I just spend mentoring them, checking on them, helping them grow.”
The original start-up costs are much lower than with most businesses, averaging between $200,000 and $350,000 depending on the size of the store. And the program they lay out is easy for the first-timer.
“We give you everything,” says Nascimento. “All you have to do is add good service, keep a clean store and be organized, then the business side is pretty easy.
“When I recruit people, what I try to do is duplicate myself, find someone who will be organized, is a people person, customer-oriented. It is not a hard business. We don’t do a lot of cooking. All the food comes prepared. It’s just reheating.”
If you’re interested in starting your own business with Taco del Mar, call Ken Nascimento at 478-4130 or e-mail him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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