About Us - Our Stories

Mis Tacones is a Queer & Chicano-owned vegan business, founded in 2016 by Carlos Reyonoso and Polo Banuelos.

Carlos Reyonoso became a social worker early in life. He felt personally connected with the community he was serving- as an at-risk gay youth, previously incarcerated & struggling with substances. At the time, he worked side jobs in kitchens, noting the difference in environment from his social advocacy roles. His dream was to create a kitchen environment that cared about identity, bridging his two worlds together - so that people could feel as valued as possible.

Polo Banuelos’  love for cooking began as a child- he loved to eat, loved comfort food & could always be found in the kitchen- learning from his mom, aunts, and grandma. What struck him was the importance of having joy with food, and curating community through sharing it.

After moving to Portland, the couple started Mis Tacones out of homesickness- yearning to integrate their roots into a new city. The vision was a gift to their family: it was an art project, and the necessity for community was the driving force.

With veganism as a strong moral value, Polo & Carlos created meat-free versions of nostalgic recipes they grew up eating, merging animal activism with cultural tradition.

Their greatest superpower? Being working-class people, who originated from hardworking, immigrant communities. As a small business, the work is endless, but it’s also all they know - and that population is exactly who they champion, within Mis Tacones.