Hilda Ysusi is the Culinary Director at Tacombi, with experience in restaurant operations, menu innovation and multi-unit culinary leadership. She specializes in building scalable culinary programs, developing high-performing teams and delivering operational excellence.
A Foundation Built through Diverse Culinary Experiences
Owning and operating her own restaurant had the greatest influence on Ysusi’s approach to culinary leadership. While her education at the Culinary Institute of America provided a strong technical foundation, running a family-owned restaurant required her to oversee every aspect of the business, from menu development and operations to customer relationships and human resources.
She expanded that experience as corporate chef and culinary director at Foxtrot, leading operations across multiple markets and standardizing recipes and processes. This experience in commissary and food production operations prepared her for the culinary director role at Tacombi, where she oversaw multiple commissaries and retail launches.
From Recipe Development to Consistent Execution
Born and raised in Mexico City, Ysusi builds authenticity into every recipe by drawing on her own culinary heritage and the experiences of team members with Mexican roots.
Menu development begins with collaboration across the culinary, marketing and finance teams. Ysusi believes successful menu development starts with understanding what customers want while ensuring it supports the business. Every recipe is designed to maintain consistency across many servings, meet pickup time expectations and perform consistently across dine-in, catering and delivery.
Experiences like mezcal and tequila flights encourage customers to explore new flavors while learning more about the traditions behind them.
Preparation begins two to three weeks before launch, with culinary managers training staff across the taquerias.
Individualized training brings together culinary leaders, front-of-house leaders and restaurant teams, with product tastings helping employees confidently introduce new dishes to guests. Tacombi also has an online training platform with detailed instructional videos that every employee is required to complete before launch, followed by product audits and feedback.
Balancing Quality, Innovation and Business Sustainability
Maintaining quality throughout Tacombi’s growth has depended on its commitment to high-quality ingredients, strong supplier relationships and strategic sourcing that creates opportunities for better pricing. Preserving quality also requires balancing profitability with changing consumer expectations. Rather than reacting to individual ingredient price increases, the team maintains a healthy menu mix that absorbs cost fluctuations.
In addition, Ysusi sees food and beverage as a way to introduce guests to Mexican culture. Experiences like mezcal and tequila flights encourage customers to explore new flavors while learning about the traditions behind them. The team introduces limited-time menu offerings every few months, giving returning guests new experiences.
Building Teams through Leadership and Systems
For Ysusi, success is measured by how well the business operates in her absence, making it essential to invest in people, establish clear systems and create an environment where employees take ownership of their roles. She notes that better customer experiences begin with taking care of the people delivering them.
That philosophy shaped one of her most meaningful initiatives at Tacombi. She restructured the leadership model by creating a team of culinary managers, promoting employees from within to oversee multiple taquerias and support managing partners in maintaining food quality, cleanliness and day-to-day operations.
She further strengthened operational consistency by opening a central commissary, where food is prepared from scratch before being distributed across all 18 taquerias. The approach has delivered consistent guest experiences while reducing restaurant-level labor requirements.
Advice for Emerging Culinary Leaders
Ysusi encourages aspiring culinary leaders to learn by observing experienced professionals and understanding the business as a whole. Looking beyond individual responsibilities develops a broader perspective, reinforcing the importance of working toward shared organizational goals.
That understanding enables leaders to introduce ideas that align with operational expectations. Taking time to observe the environment before making recommendations forms the foundation for long-term success.
