It’s taco night every night of the week (if your stomach can handle it) with the help of Kickstarter campaign, ‘a taco truck in your kitchen.’ Husband and wife team – Sarah and Otis Frizzell – are aiming to raise $100k to manufacture and produce two taco kits: Chipotle Chicken and Sizzlin’ Steak, as well as two accompanying pickles to be sold at supermarkets throughout New Zealand.
Sarah Frizzell believes this is something that is lacking in the market – good quality Mexican food that you can make in your own kitchen.
“We want to own that space,” she says.
The Frizzell’s have been planning this venture for the better part of a year and say Kickstarter is a platform that suited their worldwide social media following, with over 12,000 followers on Facebook alone. In Sarah’s lilting English accent she says with all the support from in the UK and in the US, it seemed natural to go with a crowdfunding site that is recognised worldwide. This also mirrors their plans to one day take on the global scene after they have conquered the New Zealand market.
“It raises awareness as much as it raises money,” says Sarah. “With crowdfunding, our customers feel as if there are part of our journey. They give us the drive to keep us going.”
The Frizzell’s are pre-selling their merchandise to Kickstarter backers before it hits the shelves, giving every person who pledges money something for their contribution. For $5 you can get a DIY mini Lucky Taco van, or for $5,000 you will get the full Lucky Taco experience at your home. There is also art, taco kits, party kits, aprons and tea towels up for grabs.
The campaign is on the home stretch of its 30 day run and Sarah says she is feeling anxious about the outcome with over half of the desired money still to be raised, but has been told it’s typical of the New Zealand public to wait until the last minute to get behind something.
“I feel vulnerable now we have put ourselves out there,” says Sarah, “but we are on target.”
Andy Warhol once said if you close the doors to a supermarket and leave it for 100 years, when you open it back up it would be an art museum. This resonates with Sarah as she has a fascination with supermarkets, and says that she believes that products on grocery shelves are art.
“It seems like a natural progression for us. We don’t want to own a franchise, we don’t want to have shops in the mall, and I’ve always liked brands!”
And while you will be able to make a Lucky Taco taco at home, Sarah admits that they would never say never to opening a Lucky Taco restaurant.
Watch this space.
