In a city where you can find a variety of Mexican food on street corners and in restaurants, Nay gives each customary dish a refreshing, trendy and urban taste that makes up for a wealth of appetizing meals that locals and clients experience at Nay’s Tacos Inc.
The L.A. eatery on wheels provides an appealing menu that fuses traditional Mexican cuisine. Paired with a wide range of flavors and descriptive names, her taco truck gives the customer the choice to order a “Daylan pineapple chicken” taco, “Dave’s BBQ chicken” enchilada or “Cincere spicy chicken” burrito. For vegans, she offers vegetarian nachos, tacos and more. For patrons who like to keep their order simple and are true to their roots, Nay offers a “Crenshaw”, “Watts” and “Rosecrans” burger. Her spunky and innovative approach to her business has made her a sought after taco truck in South L.A.
Today the talented owner spearheads a thriving business that was once a dream. “I’m a single parent with ambition, who is striving for greatness in this competitive world and is serving God first,” states the proud business owner.
Watts native, Naleisha Webb, known as “Nay” is a mother of three sons (David, Daylan and Cincere) and the owner of Nay’s Tacos Inc. She shares with the Los Angeles Sentinel on how her journey to being known as the best taco lady in Los Angeles was not an easy feat.
Before the ambitious mother of three began to live out her dream of owning her own business, she was a security guard who had invested 8 years into her job while cleaning homes. Steadfast and determined, Webb was promoted, however despite her work ethic, she had been terminated from the position. Evidently, taking a loss, Webb revealed that she was at a low point in her life during this time, having to deal with a broken relationship and the passing of her mother.
Coping with life changing experiences, Webb dealt with her losses by immersing herself in extra work. At this time, she used her grill to cook tacos for extra money. She acknowledges that Nay’s Tacos Inc. was inspired by her mother. “I was raised off of ground beef tacos mixed with rice, it was my mother’s favorite food to make.”
She recalls prior to her mom’s passing, that her mother encouraged her to stay prayed up, stating that whatever she did, not to give up. With the odds stack against her, she never did. Through it all, she stated that God made a way for her all the time.
Despite her unwavering faith, Webb faced financial limitations that hindered her from being able to fully care for her children and pay her bills. Cooking was at the time a side hustle that provided financial means for her family. “All I had was the grill. I would cook nachos and tacos in front of my house to feed my children. I made $500 a week, and that was pretty good for my kids.”
What started out as a survival tactic, slowly turned into a business venture for Webb.
She ran her business for three strong years, and as a business owner she recognized the value of customer service. “I took my income tax of the third year I was doing it and did an appreciation day for everyone who patronized my business, from the people on the street corner and at local carwashes that spent $5, the people that I charged $350, to everyone who had a business and was Black, I wanted to say thank you to all of them that helped me through those three years I was going through a dark moment.”
With a growing reputation that preceded her, Webb had positioned herself as a skilled cook and businesswoman whose company was more than a side hustle, but a business that now caters animated birthday parties for children and plans extravagant weddings and special events for adults.
One of the stepping stones to the foundation of Nay’s Tacos Inc. was when a client asked her to cater an all-white affair. Her catering services are often show stopping and grand. Webb states the day she catered the event, was the day that she established her trend of red carpets, brunch and cocktail tables filled with fruit, margarita and chips & salsa bars. Although it took her a while to distinguish herself from her competitors, the event started a trend that she didn’t see others doing.
Webb kept initial job, traveling to Atlanta to clean eight homes. She invested the profits into a taco truck, that she struggled to purchase in her six years of building the company. Webb’s drive funded her dream to having what she needed to operate a top and running business.
She strives to build more than a booming company, but a positive brand that will resonate in the community. The entreprenuer suggests that passion and care are the two elements that have been the driving force behind Nay’s Tacos Inc.
“I want to make my people proud. I want people to know that every time you patronize me, you are serving a purpose for the community. People have helped me to be able to give a job to someone who may not have one,” she said
On being a Black businesswoman, Webb states, “you have to work hard at it. I do my own production, cooking and shopping. I am one person in a different position within in my company. Anyone can make money, but you have to be the one to get out there and care about what you’re doing. I believe that’s why I am where I am today.”
Webb who looks to one day open a restaurant, was thrilled to participate in the 12th annual Taste of Soul Family Festival and is a friend to the Crenshaw area located in front of the Los Angeles Sentinel, please stop by to meet her and get a taste of Nay’s Tacos Inc.
For more information, visit naystacos.com and lasentinel.net.
