TAYLOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 19-year-old restaurant owner in Taylor whose business was on the brink of closure is now selling out nearly every night after a heartfelt plea on TikTok went viral.
Watch Faraz Javed's video report below
Alexander Quinones, a Taylor High School graduate, opened Detroit Loves Tacos 2 last November. He invested $5,000 of his savings and graduation money into the business, and his mother, Julie Stevens, also contributed to keep the dream alive.
However, the restaurant struggled to bring in customers. Stevens said Quinones was making just enough to cover daily expenses and his one employee. Just two weeks ago, they faced a breaking point.
"We had a difficult discussion that day. We're gonna have to close if something doesn't give," Stevens said.
"I felt like I was failing in life a little bit. I put all my money into this, I put all my time into this. So it really, really hurt me," Quinones said.
Facing closure, Quinones posted a 30-second video on TikTok.
"No shortcuts, no big investors, just me working every single day, long nights, with a vision," Quinones said in the video.
"I woke up in the morning, and he was viral, literally, like overnight. It was like a blessing," Stevens said.
The video drew Mexican food lovers from across Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Canada. Siblings Breanna Huynh and Jordan Huynh drove across the border from Windsor to support the business.
"It's really good," Breanna Huynh said.
"It's just amazing, balanced bite, it's great," Jordan Huynh said.
Isabel Zuniga and Breanna Niese made a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Ohio after seeing the video.
"This place is great," Niese said.
"Worth the drive," Zuniga said.
Another customer, Dallas, also praised the menu.
"They got this pineapple pork, and I love it," Dallas said.
Quinones discovered his passion for the restaurant business at age 12 at Detroit Loves Tacos in Corktown, which stemmed from Stevens' catering business. Now, Stevens helps in the kitchen at the Taylor location due to the overwhelming customer response.
"He is the first one in, the last one to leave. He has watched me his whole life. That's how my mom raised us," Stevens said.
"His work ethic has always been stellar," Stevens said.
"Restaurant's like my passion. I love serving people with food. I love seeing their smiles. It means the world to me," Quinones said.
Quinones said he is grateful for the community support and tries to ensure he has enough inventory to feed everyone, as the restaurant almost completely sells out every day.
"That's crazy," Niese said.
"All I thought was a simple video, just to get my name out there," Quinones said.
"I'm so grateful, I've almost sold out, almost completely everyday out of the week. But I try and make sure that I have enough inventory, just to feed everybody," Quinones said.
Quinones plans to expand, including opening more stores and food trucks. He hopes his story encourages others to never give up on their dreams.
"Definitely lean on the people around you," Breanna Huynh said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
