By: Mia Angulo
Downtown Visalia has quite the variety of restaurants to choose from. It’s no secret to local foodies that a Visalia eatery staple is Quesadilla Gorilla. Mikayla and Miguel Reyes are the owners of Quesadilla Gorilla. While their name clearly implies their food focus, the origin of their restaurant name has a fun story.
The Reyes’s had everything they needed to get their business started, there was only one thing that put a hold on opening the shop. They needed a perfect name for their business.
“We had everything we needed- the recipes, the location, everything. But our opening kept getting delayed because we could not think of a name!”, states Mikayla. One day Miguel was getting a haircut and his barber snapped his fingers and said, “Quesadilla Gorilla!”
The unique name needed some persuasion but Miguel knew it was perfect. “We opened and named our #1 quesadilla after his barber, Evan Boling. Cilantro lime chicken, crispy bacon, and fresh jalapenos in a white cheese quesadilla. That quesadilla is still, to this day, our most popular dilla!”, reports Mikayla.
The Reyes’s both have learned a lot through the journey of turning their big dream into a reality and are still learning new things along the way. One important message that they would give to future business owners is to, “Keep going, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.”
At first, Mikayla admits that she, like others, doubted Miguel’s idea and the potential success of a business whose menu consisted of only quesadillas. However, Miguel had faith in his plan and put in the hard work to make his vision a reality.
Miguel was very devoted to starting his business. He even quit his previous job in order to open Quesadilla Gorilla with his wife, Mikayla.
“We opened, and it was slow. It was worrisome. It wasn’t easy. And pride can really bury you, if you’re not careful. We are so thankful to the friends and family who stood by us and helped us through the rough seasons of starting a small business!”, reminisces Mikayla.
When they aren’t working at Quesadilla Gorilla, the Reyes’s are spending time with their kids and enjoying some of their favorite hobbies. “Miguel is a natural born leader and entrepreneur. He spends any spare time (which isn’t much,) on reading, listening to podcasts, and studying leadership/business/financials/fitness.” states Mikayla.
The pandemic has caused a lot of disruption to our daily lives. It has especially affected our local businesses. Quesadilla Gorilla adjusted to the uncertainty of it all and managed to stay afloat.
“It was definitely scary at first! But pretty quickly, it turned around. We were able to stay open and adjust to the changes. Gorilla is a great “grab n’ go” concept, and our customers were so understanding every step of the way,” says Mikayla.
Since March, Quesadilla Gorilla has opened 2 more locations. In May, their food truck became a stationary location in Three Rivers. A brick and mortar location was opened this past November in downtown Hanford as well.
When asked about the support their community has given to them during these tough times, Mikayla had nothing but good words. She says, “Oh man. This community has been our life blood! When COVID hit, it was an invisible force between all of us. We had a lot of businesses buying large amounts of quesadillas for the hospital employees, people purchasing gift cards and merch just to keep us going. Lots of support on social media, too. It was amazing.”
It warmed Makayla and Miguel’s hearts to see how much the community helped them through the hardships of being a local business during a pandemic. It brought them joy knowing that their community was there to cheer them on and help do everything that they could to help keep their business thriving. Having that support motivated them to not give up and their passion and hard work helped them to keep going.
When asked if Miguel and Mikayla always knew what they wanted to do in their futures, Mikayla replies by saying, “Nope. I had no clue. For Miguel, he knew from a very young age that he wanted to own his own restaurant. In high school he planned to join the Marines, then use the GI bill to pay for culinary school. Due to an unfortunate car accident, he wasn’t able to join the Marines but he still pursued his dream and made it happen.”
Owning their own business was never a set plan. Mikayla says “I don’t know if we ever really had a “plan”. But now, we can’t imagine it any other way.”
If you would like to learn more about Quesadilla Gorilla and explore their delicious menu you can follow them on Instagram or contact them for your catering needs at: catering@quesadillagorilla.com
Mia Angulo
Mia Angulo, ‘24, is in her fourth year of writing and her third year as an editor for the Redwood Gigantea. Mia is a member of the Redwood Law and Justice Academy, Hip Hop and Yoga Club. Mia is passionate about dance and writing and hopes to continue to do both in the future.
Wow, great story, Mia! I’m a huge fan of Quesadilla Gorilla and it was very interesting to finally know how the name came to be. Keep up the good work!