Why Torchy’s Tacos Founder Mike Rypka Says You Never Really ‘Arrive’

Leadership is about making difficult choices. Leaders often find themselves at crossroads and, in an instant, must act. For a 22-year-old Mike Rypka, that moment came when he was hired to lead a kitchen that served upwards of 4,000 meals per day. The young Rypka was quickly tested by the cooks on his staff. Some even intentionally dropped metal pans throughout the day to see if they could rattle him. But instead of pulling rank, Rypka rolled up his sleeves.

The burgeoning chef decided he wouldn’t rant and rave. Instead, he showed up two hours early every day to set up his cooks’ stations. He arranged their cutting boards, aprons and knives, and made sure their prep was ready. Then he worked alongside them, sometimes even competing to see who could break down the ingredients fastest.

“Get in there and work with them side by side, and you’ll gain their respect,” Rypka said on a recent episode of The Corporate Competitor Podcast. “I took that to heart… I would do things that would make their job easier.”

That choice changed everything. It earned him the respect of his staff—and, eventually, even invitations into their homes where he got to see their mothers cook. And the flavors Rypka experienced in those home kitchens would later become the foundation of Torchy’s Tacos. Rypka tells this story and others in the book we wrote together, The Devil Is In the Details, which is out now.

Rypka talked about all of this and more in the podcast, including:

• Own your story. In working on his new book, Rypka knew he had to face certain parts of his life he wasn’t always proud of. Rypka had to overcome a serious cocaine addiction—something that nearly ended his dreams before they began. But owning your story is powerful. “Look at this life I’ve been blessed with,” he says. “Look at these challenges I’ve overcome!”

• Make room. One day, one of Rypka’s employees came to him and asked for help. His name was Charlie and he was in recovery for addiction. Charlie said he couldn’t work nights, it was too dangerous for his recovery. So instead, Rypka made room for Charlie on the morning shift. “We said, ‘Man, come back tomorrow morning. Show up at eight o’clock. You got a job here.” Charlie has since risen in the ranks and he now runs the employee training department.

• Never “arrive.” When people see Rypka’s 100-plus taco restaurants, which he launched with a used food trailer and a red vespa, they might say, “Wow, you’ve really arrived!” But Rypka doesn’t see it that way. He’s a seeker. He wants to always keep moving and growing. “I’ve always been interested in learning,” he said. “I think it’s just really about being open to new ideas.”