Family-Owned Tacos Chiwas Accelerates Expansion with SBA 504 Program

Tacos Chiwas is a family-owned restaurant chain that focuses on homemade food with regional flair. Husband and wife team Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin started their journey five years ago with a dream: to share family recipes and give their Arizona community an authentic taste of a Chihuahua, Mexico, childhood.

Growing up, their mothers and grandmothers were always making delicious homemade meals.

The foundation was the warm, fresh tortillas, which is what they wanted to showcase, “the tortillas are made specifically for you and communicate the flavors of the Chihuahua region,” explains Armando.

Today, Tacos Chiwas has a presence in Phoenix, Mesa, and Chandler. Everywhere the duo goes, they gain a following. Locals love the flavor profile, the organically sourced ingredients, and the 100% homemade flour and corn tortillas featured in virtually every dish.

Armando wanted his restaurant to be a permanent staple in the Phoenix community. He quickly realized that to achieve that long-term stability, they would need to purchase their property.

SBA 504 Real Estate Financing Program Helps Tacos Chiwas Thrive

“My dream was to have a restaurant and to live off that restaurant,” said Armando. “Not only to exist but to flourish. The question was how to do it while meeting our other financial obligations.”

The pandemic added new difficulties. Money was tight. Lease terms – or whether their lease would be renewed at all – created unknowns each year. Armando, who felt strongly about providing stability for his staff, was worried. “We knew that to ensure we would have a forever home for our business, we would need to buy our building. That’s when I discovered TMC Financing’s SBA 504 Program.”

Armando connected with TMC Financing (TMC) through their senior vice president of business development in Arizona, Geoff McGivern.

Armando was impressed by how TMC was willing to listen to him.  Many companies had treated him like a number, but not this team of small business financing experts. Geoff firmly believed that the SBA 504 loan program was the ideal solution for Tacos Chiwas.

The 504 loan’s low down payment – which is just 10 percent – made it particularly attractive.

The SBA 504 Program provides financing to business owners to purchase, renovate, or construct commercial real estate and other fixed assets. Nearly all for-profit businesses can benefit. The low down payment helps ensure that buying property won’t restrict cash flow – a key consideration when Armando decided to own rather than lease.

Geoff McGivern, TMC Financing business development, Arizona

“I am thrilled we could introduce Armando and Nadia to the SBA 504 real estate loan because of the incredible terms,” said Geoff. “They secured a 25-year fixed-rate loan, with just 10 percent down. Unlike renting, buying your space will assure your monthly payment doesn’t change, providing stability and peace of mind to small business owners. I look forward to helping even more Arizona entrepreneurs in the future.”

While many other restaurants were struggling, cutting back, or even closing their doors, the SBA 504 Program allowed Tacos Chiwas to purchase a 1,820 square-foot property in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Our restaurants embed us in the Arizona community. If we were forcibly removed, we would lose that element, but now that I own my property – that risk is eliminated.”

Tacos Chiwas decided to utilize another SBA 504 loan to purchase a second building in Mesa, Arizona.

“I liked the SBA 504 program so much I chose to use it twice,” Armando said with a laugh. “Geoff is helping me to close on my second property in Mesa, Arizona. I know this will open so many doors for increased revenue. I can confidently tell my two-year-old daughter that this is her future.”

“We are fortunate that these types of Small Business programs exist, and the people who work at TMC really care. That type of guidance is vital for many Latino business owners who may not know all the available resources,” concludes Armando.

“So, for all my fellow Spanish-speaking business owners out there, I will offer this advice,

El programa de préstamos de SBA 504 está disponible a través de TMC Financing – es buena manera de comprar un edifico para su empresa. El programa ofrece financiación a largo plazo y a tasa fija. TMC ofrece un programa que le ayuda a ser dueño de su edificio y de su futuro.”

(The SBA 504 Program – available through TMC financing- is a great way to purchase a building for your business. The program offers long-term financing and fixed rates. TMC provides a program that will allow you to own your building and your future.)

About TMC Financing

TMC Financing is the no. 1 provider of SBA 504 commercial real estate loans in the Western Region of the U.S., helping small businesses expand throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona.

Founded in 1981, TMC is the number one certified development company in the West and has funded projects worth more than $10 billion across California, Nevada, and Arizona. About 6,000 businesses have benefited from this financing, resulting in the creation of an estimated 60,000 jobs.