30th Annual Loudoun Small Business Awards Finalist Spotlight: Casa De Avila Tacos
Thank you to Casa De Avila Tacos for sharing your story with us. Congratulations on being a finalist for the 30th Annual Loudoun Small Business Awards! View all finalists here and event info here.
Tell us the story of your business and how it’s evolved.
Casa De Avila Tacos started during the pandemic offering street tacos and other authentic Mexican food. It was originally set up for pickup and delivery because of all the contact precautions during the pandemic. In the summer of 2021, we won a contest for the Commanders called the “Flavors of the DMV” which catapulted us into the world of concessions at Northwest Stadium (originally FedEx Field). This experience taught us so much on large production, mastering our recipes, and customer service. That same year, we also began selling out of a commissary kitchen called Chefscape which allowed us to serve our customers through takeout orders and catering.
Throughout the last 3 years, we learned a lot and developed wonderful relationships with several small businesses in our community. In 2024, we made the decision to remain local for 2024 and decided to focus on building our customer base in Loudoun County. We continue to provide catering and takeout out of Chefscape as well as partnered with a local family-owned business called Wheatland Spring Farm and Brewery. We have been selling tacos on their farm since March 2024. We now have 2 locations in which we can serve our customers.
What are you most proud of when it comes to your team?
The Casa De Avila Team is an incredibly amazing team. The team is made up of family members and also other employees who are all extremely hardworking and truly care about Casa De Avila as a whole. We all work together to create delicious recipes and serving our customers is our top priority. The Casa De Avila Team is extremely supportive of each other. We seriously have the dream team!
In what ways do you give back to the Loudoun community?
Ways we give back to the Loudoun community is by offering excellent quality food for a reasonable price. We also source local ingredients and support other small businesses in the area. Having a business in Loudoun County has given us a vehicle to serve others in our community.
Any opportunity we get, we collaborate with other organizations such as the Sterling Community Center which is run by Loudoun County Parks and Recreations to provide food and beverages for their underserved youth during special events and holidays. We donate a percentage of our sales to help support school PTAs, youth clubs, and other non-profit organizations in Loudoun. We also recently provided lunch for the Hurricane Relief Volunteers at Kuhn Aviation who were relentlessly working to get supplies over to families affected by Hurricane Helene.
What would it mean to you and your business to win a Small Business Award?
It would mean a lot to win the Small Business Award. The award would validate and recognize all the hard work of the team and all the people who have supported us to be where we are today. It has been a bumpy road with lots of late nights, early mornings, and many sacrifices that we have had to make along the way.
Who is the one person that has influenced you the most in your career?
The person that has influenced me the most has been my mom. She exemplifies a woman of strength. She does not give up when the going gets tough and does not get easily intimidated by difficult tasks. She has taught me to not shortcut anything.
What did you want to be when you grew up as a child?
A firefighter
If you’re not in the office, where can we find you/what is another passion you have?
You can find us spending time with our 3 kids and puppy. We love trying out new restaurants and having adventures. We love exploring new parks and trails in the area.
How do you see your business evolving in the next 5 years?
We see Casa De Avila acquiring a storefront in the next 5 years that can provide indoor and outdoor seating. We would like to continue expanding our menu and offering a taste of Mexican gastronomy. We see Casa De Avila continuing to be part of the Loudoun community and growing its relationships.
Learn more and visit Casa De Avila on their website!