Today we’d like to introduce you to Gustavo Romero.
Hi Gustavo , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Nixta started during Covid when we, as chefs, along with thousands of other restaurant professionals, had to find a way to pivot amid all the closures. Gustavo had hundreds of pounds of corn left over from a recent collaboration event, so he started making tortillas and meal kits for friends in his home kitchen and backyard.
Starved for restaurant quality meals, friends told friends and neighbors, and within weeks he had a hundred orders, and needed a commercial kitchen. Meal kits and takeout only tacos were the first two years of Nixta’s growth, and as the world slowly returned to dine in service we opened Oro by Nixta, James Beard nominated) and more recently Tixtli by Nixta. Both restaurants exist to evangelize the power and possibility of heirloom Mexican corn. You can also continue to find our delicious tortillas all over the Twin Cities in coops and grocery stores.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
COVID. Covid, like in all other industries and families presented challenges to operating safely, hiring and really creatively having to strategize growth and service under new and ever changing constraints.
We’re also always battling against the idea that Mexican food should be cheap. No food, in today’s climate is cheap, but elevating a historically marginalized cuisine is not without some negative feedback. And being on the front lines of a movement to eat better tortillas, with non GMO ingredients means chef spends a lot of time learning and teaching about corn when not serving it to eager patrons.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Nixta is an artisanal tortilleria located in Northeast Minneapolis. We use heirloom corn and time-honored techniques to bring you a more authentic tortilla. We run the James Beard nominated Oro by Nixta, in NE Minneapolis and Tixtli by Nixta at the Graze in Northloop.
We want you to eat better tortillas, and to promote corn from overlooked side dish to star of the show. We enjoy cooking with friends and doing good in our neighborhood, and beyond.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
We think every immigrant story is inherently fraught with risk taking. Moving to a new place, doing new work, speaking new language, all for the possibility or hope of a better thing. Falling in love, starting a business, having a baby they are all risks, but the possibilities and hopes of each make a person braver.
We see risk-taking as a spectrum — not just about leaping without looking, but about making informed choices even when outcomes are uncertain. It’s a careful calculus, especially as you have a family, employees or a community to consider. To us, risk isn’t something to fear, but something to respect. It’s a tool. If used wisely, it can be the catalyst for growth, creativity, and opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nixtampls.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nixtampls/?hl=en
