Honoring Heritage, Finding Home, and Building Community Through Food
A Taste of Home, A Place to Belong
When Diana Gomez moved to Detroit nearly a decade ago, she was looking for more than a new place to live. She was looking for a sense of belonging.
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Diana grew up surrounded by the cultures, flavors, and traditions of northern Mexico. Both of her parents are from the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where she spent much of her life visiting family. Known for its meat and cheese, Chihuahua shaped her understanding of food, not simply as something to eat, but as a connection to family, place, and identity.
Moving to Michigan with her partner, who was pursuing art in Detroit, meant leaving behind a community where much of her cultural identity was reflected in the people around her. El Paso is a predominantly Hispanic city, and moving to a Detroit suburb initially left Diana feeling out of place.
That changed when she moved to Detroit’s east side.
There, she began experiencing the kind of community she had been missing. Neighbors, friends, and even strangers showed up for one another. People wanted to know who she was, not simply where she came from.
That sense of connection changed her perspective on Detroit, and eventually helped shape the business she would build.
Today, through Tacos Hernandez, Diana brings a taste of home to Detroit while celebrating the community that has helped her find her place in the city.
Finding Her Way Into the Kitchen
Diana’s path to entrepreneurship began long before she imagined owning a food truck.
Twenty years ago, when she was 15, her grandfather passed away. As her family navigated the loss, Diana and her relatives took on caregiving responsibilities, changing the dynamic of their household. Amid those responsibilities, she needed something of her own to focus on.
She found it at a small pizza shop in the mall.
Diana quickly discovered that she had a natural ability in the kitchen. She learned quickly, picked up techniques, and began building the skills that would eventually become the foundation of her career.
That early experience grew into two decades in the restaurant industry. She first earned an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from El Paso Community College. She later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management from New Mexico State University, complementing her culinary training with a deeper understanding of restaurant operations and business management.
Her professional path initially led her toward management. Having worked in restaurant kitchens, she understood the importance of strong leadership and operational support. She continued developing her culinary techniques while learning more about the business side of the industry.
For years, she built her career working corporate restaurant jobs. Business ownership was not something she had necessarily envisioned for herself. She had been taught to work hard and keep going, and entrepreneurship seemed like a distant dream compared with the security of a traditional nine-to-five job.
But after moving to Detroit, she began thinking differently.
She kept returning to the same thought: This is the place where I could do it.
Bringing Northern Mexican Food to Detroit
Diana’s decision to launch Tacos Hernandez began with a familiar feeling: she was searching for the flavors of home.
Although Southwest Detroit offered a strong connection to Mexican culture, she struggled to find food that reflected the particular tastes and traditions she grew up with. She recognized an opportunity to share something different, not because one culinary tradition was more authentic than another, but because Mexican food encompasses a wide range of regional experiences.
Hispanic Heritage Month, for Diana, is a reminder of that diversity. No two Hispanic backgrounds or family histories are exactly alike, and the food people grow up eating often reflects those differences.
With access to ingredients, fresh produce, and quality meats, Diana began experimenting through pop-ups around Detroit. The experience challenged her, but the response from customers encouraged her to keep going.
People were curious about the northern Mexican food she was introducing. They wanted to try it, learn about it, and understand the story behind it.
Through those experiences, Diana discovered that sharing her food could also mean sharing her culture. Each meal became an opportunity to introduce customers to a different regional tradition and invite them into a piece of her family’s story.
Tacos Hernandez became the vehicle for that connection.
The business name itself reflects Diana’s commitment to family. Hernandez is her mother’s maiden name, and choosing it was a way to honor the people and traditions that shaped her. As she developed the business, stories of her family’s cooking, harvesting, and feeding themselves reinforced her desire to preserve the traditions passed down through generations.
Building Tacos Hernandez became more than a professional milestone. It became a healing journey and a way to honor her family while creating something of her own.
The Work Behind Every Taco
Running a food truck requires a different kind of discipline than operating a traditional restaurant.
For Diana, each day brings its own set of responsibilities. She must ensure that ingredients remain fresh, products have the right shelf life, food safety regulations are followed, and the right staff are available at the right locations. Every morning involves preparation, including making fresh tortillas and checking the consistency of the food before the truck opens its window.
That consistency matters because customers often anticipate the truck’s arrival. They show up expecting the flavors and quality they have come to know and trust.
Meeting those expectations takes preparation, attention to detail, and resilience.
Diana is candid about the realities of working in the food industry. The work is not glamorous. It means staying late, cleaning greasy walls, managing demanding schedules, and carrying the physical and emotional responsibilities of running a business.
The passion that inspires a food business must be matched by the daily work required to sustain it.
For Diana, that work is worth it because the business represents something larger than the food itself. She thinks carefully about what she creates, where her ingredients come from, and how her business can contribute to the community around her.
Her vision extends beyond serving a good meal. She wants to support Detroit’s local economy, including urban farms and neighborhood-based businesses, so that more resources and opportunities remain within the community.
Detroit has shown up for her. She wants Tacos Hernandez to show up for Detroit in return.
Finding Support Through ProsperUs
Like many entrepreneurs, Diana has learned that passion and determination are essential, but they cannot solve every business challenge on their own.
Her introduction to ProsperUs Detroit came during a particularly stressful moment in 2025. When the transmission in her truck failed, she worried about what the unexpected repair would mean for her business. She knew resources existed in Detroit and throughout Michigan, but she needed help finding the right support.
Through Joe Rashid, executive director of the East Warren Development Corporation, Diana connected with ProsperUs. And within a week, she was able to secure capital funding that helped get her truck back on the road.
That support helped her address an immediate business need, but her relationship with ProsperUs continued well beyond the initial loan.
Diana recognized that she also needed help managing her accounts. Through six months of one-on-one accounting assistance, she received technical support to strengthen her understanding of the financial side of her business.
She also participated in the 2025 ProsperUs Family Block Party, connecting with a broader community of entrepreneurs and neighbors.
Initially, Diana thought of ProsperUs primarily as a lender. Through continued engagement, she came to understand the organization as something more: a mission-driven, approachable resource for Detroit business owners.
Her experience reinforced the importance of knowing where to turn when challenges arise and of remaining open to support that can help a business grow.
Outside of ProsperUs, Diana has engaged with programs and resources through Michigan Women Forward and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses. She has also worked with organizations including Keep Growing Detroit, Arts & Scraps, and Detroit Public Schools Community District.
These relationships have helped her continue learning, building connections, and exploring ways her business can contribute to the city.
Building a Legacy That Honors Her Roots
For Diana, legacy is not measured solely by the size of a business or how far it expands. It is reflected in what a business gives back and what it leaves behind.
At Tacos Hernandez, that begins with serving good, affordable food that makes a lasting impression on the people who enjoy it. It also means honoring her family’s history and preserving the traditions that have traveled across generations.
As a first-generation American-born daughter of Mexican immigrants, Diana understands that every family carries a different story. The journeys of her parents, the traditions they maintained, and the sacrifices that helped shape her life are all part of the legacy she carries forward.
She sees that legacy as a source of pride, regardless of where someone falls within their family’s immigration journey. Whether a person is the first or fourth generation, the experiences that brought their family to where they are today matter.
For Diana, legacy is about remaining true to who you are and where you come from. It is about surviving, thriving, and growing while continuing to move forward in the light of those who came before you.
That understanding informs how she approaches entrepreneurship, too.
Being a business owner means entering rooms where people look to you for leadership and where your influence can extend beyond your immediate work. Diana believes it is important to remember what brought you there in the first place—and to remain connected to the values and experiences that made your journey possible.
There was a time when the things she has built today were only possibilities she hoped to realize.
Now, she has the opportunity to create something that reflects those hopes while serving others.
Looking Ahead: Growing With Purpose
As Tacos Hernandez continues to serve Detroit, Diana remains focused on building a business that reflects her values.
That means maintaining the quality and consistency her customers expect, strengthening her relationships with the community, and continuing to consider how her business can support the people and local resources around it.
It also means encouraging other women business owners to connect with one another.
Diana knows how much determination entrepreneurship requires, but she also understands the value of relationships, shared knowledge, and community support. She encourages women to reach out to one another, build connections, and recognize that they do not have to navigate business ownership alone.
Her own journey is proof of what can happen when personal passion meets community support.
Detroit gave Diana a sense of belonging she had been searching for. Through Tacos Hernandez, she has found a way to return that generosity: one meal, one customer, and one community connection at a time.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, her story is a reminder that celebrating culture means recognizing the many histories, traditions, and experiences that make up a community. Sometimes, those stories are shared through family traditions. Sometimes, they are passed down through a name. And sometimes, they arrive on a plate of food that tastes like home.
Every business begins somewhere. For Diana, Tacos Hernandez began with a search for the flavors and connections she missed. It has grown into a way to honor her family, embrace her identity, and contribute to the city she now calls home.
Through food, Diana is building more than a business. She is building a legacy rooted in heritage, resilience, and community.
Learn more about Tacos Hernandez and connect with them on Instagram.
