Man living his dream

A Shafter man is living his dream, thanks to a leap of faith that netted him a career doing something that he loves to do. Marco Avendano, of Tacos Avendano, has been in business for three years now, serving a variety of Mexican dishes, focusing on his specialty, tacos.

Avendano was at a pop up event recently at the Gathering Church on Central Valley Highway in Shafter.

Avendano said that business has been great, getting calls from his online presence, as well as a great following on his Instagram page. He caters private parties, as well as participating in pop-up events and food fairs.

In addition to tacos, they serve quesadillas, and with parties, they will include rice and beans to the menu.

His journey began a little over three years ago, as with a lot of the vendors in local pop-up events, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a large number of businesses to slow or shut down. Avendano was toiling in the oilfields, telling his coworkers that someday he was going to own his own business.

When the pandemic caused his jog to shut down temporarily, he made the decision. After a month of waiting and uncertainty, Avendano decided that this was the time to go for his dream. He purchased equipment and started making tacos and quesadillas from his family recipe. The popularity of the product grew and a business was born.

"I have never been happier," said Avendano. "This turned out to be a blessing in disguise."

The next time you are in need of a caterer of delicious tacos, you can go to Avendano's Instagram @tacosavendano661, as well as the same moniker on Facebook. You can also call at 661-912-9958.