Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Vitale-Bailey
Melissa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Royal-T Tapas, Started as a Covid project. I, Mel, had my first job in a pizza shop and learned everything I know through on-the-job training at each restaurant after, and trust me, there were many. I had worked BOH everywhere from fast food, to fast-casual, to fine dining and picked up little tips and tricks along the way, not only from managers and owners but more-so from fellow co-workers. Over the years, I kept having the same reoccuring thought , “I could do this, but better.’ Then cue 2020, unemployment. With nothing but time on my hands I took to applying for grants and developing a business plan. *Enter Marie* . My soon to be partner, who knew everything on the FOH end and was damn good at talking with customers from her 7+ years serving tables. She really supported my every dream, from the ’86 VW Camper conversion that was our first trailer, to the puns that surrounded the naming of each dish, including our very first menu item named the “Jose Sucio” (HO-ZAY SUE-CEE-OH) which we worried would fly over the heads of non-spanish speakers. (Fun Fact: It didn’t). Everybody Laughs when they order the “Dirty Joseph” a rough translation of the American “Sloppy Joe”. While I was the mind behind the details in the dishes, she was the glitz, glam and the taste buds that created Royal-T. (Taste Buds meaning she tries and approves of every dish before it hits the menu). We absolutely LOVE dining out together, and prefer to eat Tapas style, where you can get a ton of different smaller portions rather than one big one note dish. With that in mind, we decided to carefully craft a small bites menu to be cooked from a small bus. We curated the menu using tapas as a starting point. We tend to use traditional Spanish cheeses, meats, olives etc. in each dish but then we do what we do best and put a little multi-cultural twist on those very dishes. Hence, the international approach to Tapas. Why limit ourselves to Spain when any country in the world you go to, you will find that they have their own version of tapas that match their culture. (Some of our favorite small plates we actually tried at an Irish-tapas restaurant in Ireland.) We opened officially in February 2022 and almost three years later, we had said goodbye to our Kombi Kitchen and began working on a brand new State of the art Trailer. While our original draw was the VW bus, once people tried our tapas they came back for the food (and to chat with Marie). We pop up at breweries and local bars because tapas are quite literally made to be enjoyed with an adult beverage, and if you are alcohol free, we got you covered with refreshing and photo worthy mocktails. The name Royal-T is actually an anagram of the name Taylor, somebody who inspired me to take the first steps of starting my own business, and we pay homage to her with our name and logo. Our menus constantly rotate per event so you are guaranteed to try something new almost every time .
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a food truck in Orlando has been everything …except easy. Throw in all the struggles of being a new business owner, trying to find your niche and customer base, balancing work, life, and sleep. All of the struggles that come with being a small-business owner PLUS then throw in starting your business in a VINTAGE ’86 VW Camper Bus Conversion. I think we made the journey as hard as we possibly could. The first couple of years for any new business will normally not be your most profitable , but then add maintenance of this historical work of art and let’s just say we could have been sponsored by Ibuprofen with the amount of headaches that we had. I think the smoothest or easiest part for us has been the people. Every time we would see a familiar face or have a conversation with a regular, it made all of the struggles worth it. Our “Friendors”, other food truck owners, and pop-up businesses have shown us such a sense of community and kindness and they truly helped us on this bumpy road from day One.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I like to think that what Marie and I offer is more than just food and drinks. It’s personality plates. From the Punny names, to the bold flavors and the history, We offer something different than the Burger, Pizza, Taco, hot dog trucks and trailers that everybody else does. Our customers call us a Restaurant on wheels, not because we are a mobile kitchen, but because we strive to create a depth of flavor and a touch of finesse in every dish. We are also often told that each bite just envelopes into more and more flavor when you try our food, and that puts such a big smile on our faces. We also create photo-worthy mocktails which we felt were so important, especially popping up at breweries, it offers a little something for everyone. I’d like to think we are everything but ordinary and that’s why people come back!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
It definitely surprises everyone to know that I (Mel) The chef, of a Tapa truck is 0% Hispanic and Marie is 50% Hispanic. From outward appearances people always assume I know or can speak spanish and Marie always has to help out in explaining what the customers are talking about because I have absolutely no clue. I am mixed, 50% Italian 50% African-American, while Marie is 50% Irish/Scottish and 50% Puerto Rican. Another notable mention of something surprising about our business is that people often get confused by our name ROYAL-T TAPAS. The T does not stand for Tapas. We are often called Royal Tapas, or confused with Royaltea. The ROYAL-T is essentially meant to represent Taylor’s Tapas.
Pricing:
- We recommend 4-6 Tapas for 2 people Sharing
- Prices range from $6-$16
- The Median price of items on our menu is about $8
Contact Info:
- Website: https://royalttapas.com/
- Instagram: @Royalttapas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Royalttapas/
