6 Questions with Zuri Resendiz of Luchador Food Truck on Biggest Difference Between A Fine Dining Restaurant and A Food Truck

Read time: 3 min

By Sophie Braker

This article is in conjunction with a videocast. To learn more about Chef Zuri’s journey, check out BSP381: What Is Mexican Food, Licensing & Permitting, Masked Wrestlers with Zuri Resendiz of Luchador Food Truck.

Zuri Resendiz has been a friend of Best Served for a long time. He’s been on the show twice previously when he worked at Shanahan’s Steakhouse and at Cattivella. Now he’s broken away from his fine dining past and has opened Luchador food truck, serving street and traditional Mexican food made daily from scratch. Read below to learn more about how he transitioned from restaurants to starting his own food truck. 

First restaurant job?

First job was at Carrabba's Italian Grill. It was here in Lonetree, Colorado. It was a professional kitchen. I remember my first wood fire pizzas. I got stoked. I got stoked by everything. I saw people slicing onions, stretching pizza dough, and grilling. It felt like paradise.  

What’s a food / drink you always have on hand at home?

Drink, I always have vodka at home. I always have the fixing for tacos or quesadillas. Cheese, tortillas and just make some quesadillas. 

Why go from a fine dining restaurant to a food truck?

I think it’s both dreams, cooking in a fine dining restaurant and having my own food truck. I don’t feel like I create fine cuisine. I feel like this is another stepping stone to get me where I want to be later on. This is just another journey. 

Biggest difference being in a mobile kitchen?

Space. We need to be super more organized. You think that because you have run successful restaurants you are really organized. The difference is you have millions of people to help you achieve that. Now it is only you and probably someone else so you have to be super organized on what you need, counts, and where are you going to store it. Menu development is a critical thing for a food truck. You can’t go back to the walk in. The walk in is right in front of you, literally at your knees. 

Hardest part about starting a food truck?

I think little expenses that you don’t know or think about. All you think about as a chef on a food truck is the kitchen. I need to develop my kitchen. My kitchen needs to be ready and it needs to look nice on the outside. You finish that part and you realize you need oil changes. You need tires. You need a new suspension. You need CV joints. That was kind of a shock for me. This journey was an emotional rollercoaster. 

How does Luchador give you the opportunity to cook food from your Mexican culture?

It's given me a huge opportunity. I always worked at Italian restaurants, steakhouses, Mediterranean food, German food. The only time I had to express myself was during competitions or during family meals. I feel like I’m getting closer to my roots. I really wanted to do this.

Luchador it’s described by the word. Wrestler. Fighter. Warrior. Luchador food truck serves street and traditional Mexican food that is accessible to all. We prepare our dishes daily from scratch.