Greg Diaz, owner of the TacoNganas food trucks, is opening his first Memphis restaurant, Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant, in late February at 1730 South Germantown Road in the Thornwood community.
The high end restaurant will have “very authentic Mexican food,” says Diaz. Instead of the chalupas and other fare people find in many local “Tex Mex” restaurants, Diaz says, “They’re going to be able to find stuff made from scratch. Like mole. I’d say there are about 30 items on the menu.”
Diaz will not be selling the same food at Uncle Goyo’s that he sells in his food trucks. “We’ll have some some other tacos. We’ll have something very similar.”
And, he says, “We have both an executive chef, a sub chef, and other chefs from Mexico City to be the teaching staff.” Israel Loyo is Uncle Goyo’s executive chef.
His restaurant is “literally next door to Moondance (Grill). You can pass in front of my door to get there. We’re remodeling. The upholstery people are making the booths, fixing up the bar. We’re right in the middle.”
The color scheme will be “talavera” colors, which Diaz described as vibrant blues and other colors. It’s the colors artists use in Mexico when making plates and other creations. “Vibrant Mexican art is what I’d call it.”
A large mural depicts a lady making tortillas, Diaz says. “I had it shipped in from Mexico.”
Asked where the name “Uncle Goyo” comes from, Diaz says, “‘Goyo’ is an endearment for ‘Gregorio.’ Gregorio is my name, my grandfather was Gregorio, my uncle — my mother’s brother — was Gregorio. My mother, after having nine children, decided to name her last one Gregorio.”
Diaz, who has four locations and eight food trucks, was born in Mexico City. He said in a recent Memphis Flyer interview, “I was raised by a single mother of 10 children. And she still managed to open a restaurant and then turn it into a chain of eight restaurants.”
He says he’s been cooking since he was born, but his main job is pastor of Nueva Direccion church. And, he says, he’s probably best known for being the executive director of Las Americas, a youth development center.
As to how he got into the food business, Diaz says in the interview, “There’s always food around. We feed kids all the time. So, I thought, ‘I’m going to open up a taco truck to make some money to offset the cost of a lot of the food we served kids and youth.’”
The TacoNganas food truck was so well received, Diaz expanded to what are now four locations and 58 employees.
Asked why he felt he has come so far with his business, Diaz told the Memphis Flyer, “I think the hand of God is on top of us.”
“Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant” will be open for lunch and dinner and, eventually, breakfast, Diaz says.
And if you’re looking for Diaz at his many food locations, he says, “I’m going to be everywhere.”
