Faces of Loudoun: Stephanie and Abraham Avila

Casa De Avila Tacos Brings Authentic Flavor to Loudoun County

The Loudoun County food scene embraces national and international influences. Stephanie and Abraham Avila, Owners of Casa De Avila Tacos, share the story of how their restaurant grew from a passion for authentic Mexican food to a favorite for Loudoun residents looking to spice up their food routine.

“Abraham and his family are from Guadalajara, Mexico, and I’ve always enjoyed my mother-in-law’s cooking. We lived in Colorado for a few years, and we loved the little Mexican street taco spots there. We missed that when we moved back to Virginia. We started cooking and preparing food in our house and giving out samples to our friends and family. We had to get our in-laws’ approval because they’re the toughest critics and know real Mexican food,” said Stephanie. “That’s how it started, and Abraham’s mom and sister have also been a part of the team from the beginning.”

Casa De Avila Tacos had its beginnings in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Stephanie, a former nurse, decided it was time for a career change as the fear of the pandemic grew and more of the medical field was endangered.

“We got to see the restaurant industry through COVID, and I feel like it actually helped us. The community rallied together to support local mom-and-pop shops, and it ended up being the perfect time for a business like this to take off,” said Abraham. “No-contact food options were growing in popularity. Specialty tacos with ingredients like Birria, a traditional, slow-cooked Mexican stew, were taking over the United States. We really wanted to be part of that. ”

The business officially started in September 2020. The couple was running it out of their home, but as it grew, they knew they needed a more permanent solution.

“Steph’s background in nursing guided us. We had to figure out sanitation and safety requirements, so we turned to the Loudoun Health Department for extra guidance. They assisted us in bringing the business from our home into a commercial kitchen,” said Abraham.

Around the same time, the Avilas had a client who told them about a competition held for the Washington Commanders NFL team. The league was doing a rebranding of food options at the team’s stadium and held a competition for food vendors, called the Flavors of D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Winners would become an official game day food vendor.

“We didn’t think we’d hear back from them when we submitted the application. When we did, our jaws dropped. They screened over 1,000 applicants and we were one of 20 that got selected,” said Abraham. In order to be an official vendor for The Commanders, proper documentation was required. This led Casa De Avila Tacos to choose a Leesburg kitchen space at ChefScape, a food and beverage business incubator that helps up-and-coming local food and beverage businesses grow. It gives them a space to practice existing food and beverage skills, storage for supplies and business support.

Casa De Avila Tacos worked with the Commander’s Stadium for three years and during this time, their popularity grew exponentially. Seeking additional avenues to connect with the public, Casa De Avila Tacos partnered with Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery, a family-owned, Loudoun-based, estate brewery and farm.

“We’re now serving there Fridays and Sundays. The owners, John and Bonnie, are down-to-earth and humble. They told us they reached out to us because of all the feedback they got from their customers about us. We used to do a lot of pop-up events on their farm, and everyone loved the combination of beer and tacos, so it was a no-brainer for us. We sat down and worked out the details, and we’ve been working together since March,” said Abraham.

Casa de Avila’s next step is to establish a brick-and-mortar location of their own.

“We feel our partnership with Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery is a positive step in this direction,” Stephanie said. “Our customers were so excited to hear we were serving in a location where they could sit down and enjoy our food again. We’ve built so many great relationships with customers there.”

As Casa De Avila Tacos continues to grow, they’re pursuing business resources from Loudoun Economic Development. Stephanie and Abraham have participated in numerous classes provided by the department, including a QuickBooks course and a Marketing & SEO class. “We’ve been working with K.C. and Alberto at Loudoun Economic Development, and they’ve been some of our biggest cheerleaders,” said Abraham.

As the team looks at brick-and-mortar options, they’re working with Loudoun Economic Development to find a location. “The DED team has been sending us a lot of important data on sourcing a good location that past realtors we’ve worked with haven’t given us in detail,” he said.

Casa De Avila Tacos has been overwhelmed by the support they’ve received from the community, their customers and especially the economic development team. “We always say there’s not really a roadmap to certain things, but they do provide a roadmap for small businesses,” said Stephanie. “Any sort of challenge or issue that you might encounter during business, the economic development team has a resource for it. ”

Loudoun County has no shortage of delectable dining options, from long standing food chains to more authentic options like Casa De Avila Tacos. The Loudoun community rallies around small businesses and pushes growth through financial support and word-of-mouth advertising. “Iron sharpens iron,” Stephanie concluded. “We’re all in this together– to grow and build our businesses and help the local economy.”