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Luis Mendez

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Don Lucho Salsa and Taco Truck

Luis Mendez + Don Lucho Salsa and Taco Truck

Luis Mendez, the mysterious man-in-the-handsewn-mask, is the Build Grad behind Don Lucho Salsa and Taco Truck, a mobile food truck project that aims to serve delicious, authentic and affordable Mexican street food in the Metro Detroit area.

“‘Don Lucho’ is inspired by the wrestling culture in Mexico. Luchadores are professional wrestlers known for their colorful masks. The wrestlers are the superheroes of Mexico and I think everybody who loves Detroit has a Don Lucho inside of them. Someone who is fighting for Detroit, whether it’s by opening a new business or just being dedicated to this city. Through Don Lucho I want to give people new experiences in Mexican food and culture.”

Building his Business

“Build helped me understand the steps I need to take to start my taco truck. It was like a big family in our Build class. By getting everyone’s opinions I could see more clearly what I needed to change and where my business was headed. Build helped me organize my issues better, understand the legal aspects, develop a budget, understand how to get permits and most importantly create a business plan, which I needed to promote and get support for my project.”

Beyond Build

“I am almost finished and hope to open up my taco truck this spring. I am working on getting the permits from sanitation and health departments. The permits are the most time consuming part right now. We have just painted the truck and it is almost ready to go!”

Future Building

“My hope if the truck is successful is to eventually open up a restaurant, while still operating the truck. A lot of restaurants these days have both a permanent space and a truck, but instead of starting with a restaurant I started with the truck! I also want to create a brand around Don Lucho – the idea is not just to sell tacos but different kinds of products including t-shirts, masks, and art relating to Mexican culture.

I will be selling my salsa at local food markets like Eastern Market and Rust Belt Market and I am also participating in Build bazaar at D:hive. I am making t-shirts that I hope to have ready soon!”

To learn more about Don Lucho, check out his video on Indiegogo.

To the BUILD Institute Community,

On behalf of the BUILD Institute Board of Directors, we want to share that the Board has made the decision to pause operations at the end of 2025.

We recognize that we are living in a time of great uncertainty for small business support organizations across Michigan. This moment offers us an opportunity to reassess how BUILD delivers on its mission, retool our programming, and evaluate new partnership opportunities and our overall business model to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.

In the coming months, we will continue all scheduled programming through December to ensure that all commitments to entrepreneurs and partners are honored. During this time, we will also explore new ways to align our work with the evolving needs of our community, including our network of over 3,000 alums.

Please join us in showing appreciation for the team members and facilitators who have served Detroit’s entrepreneurs and supported BUILD’s mission since our founding in 2012.

If you have any questions about this decision or what it means in the near term, please email us at [email protected].

Thank you for your continued support and for being part of BUILD’s legacy of inclusive entrepreneurship.

With gratitude,
The BUILD Institute Board of Directors