How does someone go from being a police officer to owning a cleaning business to owning an authentic Mexican restaurant? Those industries don’t have much in common except for one woman, Claudia Cogswell. All because she is “…one of those people that [say], ‘Hey, let’s give it a shot,” we have Memphis Tacos.
Behind Memphis Tacos
Claudia Cogswell has a can-do attitude and has been giving “it” a chance her whole life.
“I’m originally from Mexico,” she started. “When I was five years old my family came, and I was moved to California to go to school.”
After finishing school Claudia became a police officer in California. She worked in law enforcement for 12 years. She then got married to George Cogswell. George had a job opportunity in Memphis, so the couple moved here. Shortly after moving, the Cogswells started a cleaning company called Memphis Clean.
One of Memphis Clean’s clients was the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. While cleaning their space, she noticed that the food court didn’t have any Mexican food. In a conversation with the people at UTHSC, Claudia asked questions about the space and ultimately asked to open a Mexican restaurant.
“I said, ‘Let me open one up.’”
And from there she got to work. She and her business partner (and husband), George, opened Memphis Tacos, an authentic Mexican restaurant, in the food court at UTHSC. They have been open for a year and a half now.
“I know authentic Mexican food, because I’m Mexican, so let’s do this,” she said.
The Inspiration
“Being from a Mexican family, I grew up on authentic Mexican food and that was one of my disappointments when I moved here to Memphis. There is none,” Claudia explained.
Claudia experienced eating authentic Mexican food her whole life. That is until she moved to Memphis. While there are Mexican restaurants in town, Claudia was used to a world where there was an abundance of Mexican restaurants that gave her the cooking she loved.
“In California anywhere you turn, you find a great taco,” she claimed. “Here, it’s non-existent.”
She noticed an absence of authentic Mexican restaurants in the UTHSC area and was prompted to fix it herself.
“When I was given the opportunity to provide Memphians authentic Mexican food, I jumped on it,” she exclaimed.
Another crucial factor in her decision to open Memphis Tacos was the COVID-19 pandemic.
She explained, “Because of COVID, everybody had to kind of reinvent themselves. So I thought, ‘You know what, this would be a good opportunity to kind of get my foot in the door and see how this works.’”
She used the pandemic as her opportunity to try something new. Many people would see that as a huge risk and one you shouldn’t take. They heard of all the businesses struggling during the pandemic, but Claudia and George gave it a shot anyways.
“It’s been a good ride,” she commented.
Their Offerings
Memphis Tacos has authentic Mexican dishes. Of course, to go with the name there are tacos, but they have other classic Mexican food.
“We have tacos and burritos; bowls, quesadillas, churros. You name it, we could do it.”
For any good restaurant it is crucial to have a solid menu of food items your customers enjoy. When crafting the menu, Claudia spent a lot of time collaborating with her staff. They have been with her since the start of Memphis Tacos.
“All my employees are Mexican, so they know what good Mexican food tastes like,” she noted.
Claudia and her team worked hard to create a menu that was the perfect fit for their customers. Some people like spicy food and others don’t, so they created a thoughtful menu.
“We can’t make it super spicy, so we have to kind of get it in the middle.”
Beyond just flavors, Claudia wanted a menu that catered to her customers. Her customers are primarily UTHSC staff, students, and patients. She wanted them to be able to, “come in, get a nice, healthy, freshly made meal that’s made to order and promptly.”
She emphasized the freshly made aspect of her food by saying, “We don’t get things that are already made. That’s not how Mexican food is.”
Memphis Tacos also cater for all sorts of events from birthday parties to corporate events. While she offers the same menu offered at the restaurant, she said, “If it’s catering and they want specific specialties, we could also come up with that.”
Feedback and the Future
As a two-time business owner, it should come as no surprise that Claudia knows what it takes to succeed—customer service.
“It’s all about customer service. It’s all about giving the clients what they want, and we’re good at that.”
Claudia discussed that when she first opened Memphis Tacos, customers kept asking for queso. Queso is not an authentic Mexican dish. Despite this, she added queso to the menu.
Claudia elaborated on her success by saying, “I’ll have you know, you’re only as good of a of a business as your employees and I have great—I have awesome employees.”
Claudia and Memphis Tacos have gotten great feedback so far.
“We’ve had really good feedback from our customers, and we want to grow,” she explained.
She has aspirations of growing Memphis Tacos by opening a food truck. With a food truck she could be more mobile and share Mexican food at festivals and events.
Final Thoughts
Memphis Tacos are 100% who they say they are—an authentic Mexican restaurant. Their food options are true to who they are. Their mouthwatering tacos are delicious on their own, but add a little bit of their house made salsa, and you’ve created an incredible taco to fill you up. And to top off your lunch, grab a churro to curb your sweet tooth.
Memphis Tacos is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UTHSC food court 910 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38103. They also offer catering that goes beyond their regular hours.
Despite being born in Mexico and growing up in California, Claudia is a Memphian and wants to bring a crucial part of her to the city.
“I never thought I’d say I’m a Memphian, but I’m a Memphian. I’ve been here now for 13 years. I love this city. This city has been great to me and my family.”
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Happy Downtown Memphis Dining Week!
