Tornado Taco

Gautam held management positions for various fast food chains and owned PJ’s Pizza from 1990 to 2000 before he started Tornado Taco. He opened the Missouri City location in 2001 and then in 2007, he opened Stafford’s Tornado Burger. In 2010, Gautam opened a Tornado Taco in Spring Branch in Houston.

Gautam said Tornado Taco became a Missouri City staple through loyal customers, whether they are college students or out-of-towners. Lloyd Ernstes, the owner of nearby World Music, said he is a loyal customer of about 10 years.

“I like bacon, egg and cheese burritos,” Ernstes said. “You can’t beat them.”

While Tornado Taco specializes in breakfast tacos, Gautam said the restaurant might soon be serving dinner to go.

“We may be opening this store at night, and we’ll be probably specializing in fajitas, but I don’t know,” he said. “It’s in the works.”

Gautam owns a space across the parking lot from Tornado Taco where he plans to build a commercial kitchen. Food prepared in the separate kitchen would be brought to Tornado Taco for the dinner menu.

“In terms of breakfast tacos, I don’t know of any other place in Houston that can do what we do, and you know, Houston is almost the capital of breakfast tacos now, right?” Gautam said.