Kayla and Ismael Olvera, owners of Mila Café (formerly Kurbside Coffee), are expanding their coffee truck into a brick-and-mortar next week. The Olvera’s began this business venture in 2019 for their children to inherit, hence why it’s named after their daughter, Mila. While the Olvera’s were crafting a new concept, Edgar Gomez, owner of Sison Tacos, was reimagining the business he inherited from his parents (formerly GG’s Grill).  

“He [Ismael] comes from a family full of entrepreneurs. They’ve all literally lived the American Dream, and have opened up different businesses,” Kayla said. “So, something that he had felt was like, ‘Hey, let’s kind of do something of our own.’ Because at the time, we were working for his father’s business, and I was actually pregnant with our first son. So, I was like, ‘Okay, like something for our future kids,’ so that they have something that they could call theirs eventually.” 

The Mila Cafe storefront on N. 25th Street, Photo Credit: Avery Ballmann

Gomez’s parents had the same idea for their children and opened their food truck, GG’s Grill, in 2018. However, due to the pandemic in 2020, his parents decided to close their order windows. Although Gomez’s parents moved on from the food truck, Gomez said he always saw its potential, and he saved up money to reopen it in 2023. 

The year 2023 was challenging for Gomez, to say the least. In 2023, he was running a food truck that he said wasn’t making a lot of money, he was working a full-time job, and he was finishing up his GED.  

“I told my heart that I definitely wanted to make this work, and I don’t want to give up,” Gomez said. “So, the whole year was just really bad financially, but I started to kind of learn more about business.”  

Gomez isn’t the only business owner who struggled starting out. The Olvera’s said they only made $40 at their first Waco Downtown Farmers Market and remembered telling themselves that their booth would have a line one day. Without the continued support of their family and the drive to improve their business, Sison Tacos and Mila Café would not be operating today.  

Sison Tacos at the Farmers Market, Photo Credit: Avery Ballmann

Both Gomez and the Olvera’s reworked their menus to highlight their culture, such as the dirty horchata Ismael spent months perfecting and featuring Al Pastor tacos, and fruit water Gomez grew up with. Their customers at the farmers market welcomed their new creations, which is why Sison Tacos and Mila Café will continue their booths along with their new brick-and-mortars.  

“The market was our beginning, and it’s still our future. We’ll be faithful to that place and our customers there,” Ismael said. “But we will have separate menus so that people can enjoy two different experiences.”  

The Olveras assured their customers that they will keep their classics at both locations, but now that they have a storefront, they have more room to experiment. Gomez also said he wants to have a more expansive menu at the brick-and-mortar because his food truck can only hold so many items. 

 It’s clear that both of these businesses will continue to be innovative, whether they have a booth, truck or building. Mila Café, 108 N. 25th St. is set to open before the end of August. Follow their Instagram for more details on their soft opening. Sison Tacos, 601 Franklin Ave., has not released when their storefront is opening, but not to worry, you can still grab their delicious tacos at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays. 

“Us sitting here in our brick-and-mortar, we are just amazed and thankful for Waco,” Kayla said. “We’re so thankful for our family and our friends. None of this would have been possible without the encouragement or support.”