Fourteen years ago, El Primo owner, Jose Luis Perez, hung his family’s livelihood over a food court stall in Dobie Mall on UT’s Campus, where he set out to provide authentic Mexican cuisine for students and Austin residents. But behind every filled-to-the-brim taco lies a familial journey beginning in Michoacán, Mexico.
El Primo and Burrito Factory pride themselves on remaining family owned since opening its doors in May 2004. From the kitchen to the register, El Primo is manned by three siblings: Jose Luis, Juan Luis and Ana Bertha Perez. Juan Luis, the youngest, said Burrito Factory’s success is motivated by a simple phrase his father repeated at their childhood meat market in Mexico: “Échenle ganas,” or, “try your hardest.”