Success Story: Tapa The World

Tapa The World

Location: Northern California | Sacramento County​

Business Type: Restaurant

Small Business Center: Sacramento Valley SBDC

Assistance Received: Training, Certification, and Funding assistance

Visit Tapa The World online

Marcos Murrilo came here from Mexico in 1996. His first job in the U.S. was working at Tapa the World restaurant in Sacramento, where he was the executive chef for 11 years, creating several of the specialty dishes that are still on the menu today.

When the previous owner was ready to close the restaurant, Chef Marcos became inspired to purchase it and make it his own. When Finance Center Advisor Oscar Garcia met Chef Marcos, Marcos was discouraged as he had been trying for a year to obtain a loan and had been turned down by a few lenders. Although he had been working in the restaurant for over 20 years, he had been entirely out of the loop as to how poorly the financials had been managed, the profits drained from the business.

Oscar Garcia provided over 30 hours advising Chef Marcos, helping him understand the financials of the restaurant and how the numbers work. Oscar helped him massage the numbers back to where they made more sense, and the money was not flowing out for non-excusable expenses. Oscar assisted Chef Marcos in collecting the taxes and interim financials to show a different picture, which was presented to an SBA nonprofit lender, the California Statewide CDC. Oscar worked together with the lender and Chef Marcos to ensure they were on the same page.

Tapa the World and Chef Marcos received a loan for $250,000 to purchase the business, saving 21 jobs (including his and his wife’s) and charting a more stable path forward in his dream to own his own restaurant.

7/17/2024