Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka

Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka

Long before founding Torchy’s Tacos, Mike Rypka was a troubled teenager trying to outrun his own self-destruction. Growing up around addiction and falling into heavy drug use himself, Mike’s future looked bleak—until he got clean and found refuge in kitchens. Cooking gave him structure, purpose, and eventually, a career.


After years working in restaurants and corporate kitchens, Mike decided to take a risk on something smaller: a food truck on a street corner in Austin. In 2006, he launched Torchy’s with nothing but a dream, a fiery logo, and a menu full of bold flavors. That humble truck became the start of something much bigger. Today, Torchy’s is a national chain with more than 130 locations and annual sales topping $300 million. And through all of it, Mike has remained sober—more than three decades and counting.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Katherine Sypher and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(839)

Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025)

Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025)

Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—a 1...

4 Juni 47min

UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.

UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.

In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea or a product to bring...

1 Juni 1h 28min

Advice Line with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation

Advice Line with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation

Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in Michigan considers the best messaging to b...

28 Maj 46min

Justin’s Nut Butter: Justin Gold. He Was Waiting Tables, Then...He Reinvented Peanut Butter.

Justin’s Nut Butter: Justin Gold. He Was Waiting Tables, Then...He Reinvented Peanut Butter.

At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: bring new life to a tired lunchtime staple.Wh...

25 Maj 1h 27min

Advice Line with Sarah LaFleur of M.M. LaFleur

Advice Line with Sarah LaFleur of M.M. LaFleur

Today’s callers: David from New Jersey struggles with self-doubt as he works to grow his muscle-scraping soap brand. Then, Marnie from Australia wants to convince customers that her colorful tick-repe...

21 Maj 48min

NVIDIA: Jensen Huang. From near collapse to becoming the world’s biggest company

NVIDIA: Jensen Huang. From near collapse to becoming the world’s biggest company

NVIDIA is one of the most valuable companies in human history. Its chips run the AI systems transforming everything from entertainment to warfare. But for years, almost nobody believed in co-founder J...

18 Maj 1h 7min

Advice Line: New Offerings, Bigger Markets

Advice Line: New Offerings, Bigger Markets

Today’s callers: Kristina in Florida wants to take her local pottery workshops nationwide. Then Jim from Colorado wonders if retail is right for his quick release camera straps. And Will in Ohio hopes...

14 Maj 41min

Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant

Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant

John Gabbert built a massive furniture brand. But in order to do it, he had to defy his family. John grew up working at his dad’s furniture store in the suburbs of Minneapolis. It sold classic, Americ...

11 Maj 1h 1min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
rss-borsens-finest
uppgang-och-fall
avanzapodden
rss-dagen-med-di
lastbilspodden
fill-or-kill
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
bathina-en-podcast
borsmorgon
24fragor
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
tabberaset
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
market-makers
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
bilar-med-sladd
svd-tech-brief