Simon Madera’s story in Austin’s food scene exemplifies resilience and innovation, deeply rooted in his cultural heritage and entrepreneurial drive. With an MBA from St. Edward’s University and a background in banking, Simon’s career took an unexpected turn during the subprime mortgage crisis. Rather than being discouraged, he bought a liquor store at The Triangle, but he soon discovered his true passion lay elsewhere.
Inspired by his South Texas and Mexican upbringing, Simon developed the Taco Flats brand on Burnet Road. He also transformed Kellee’s Place in East Austin into the mezcal cantina La Holly and, in 2019, converted Zocalo Café in Clarksville as Taco Flats Clarksville. His ventures, including Junction Prime and Hoopers in Kingland, Texas, have made a significant impact on the community by celebrating quality and tradition.
Discover how Simon has elevated the local food scene with authentic flavors and the best dining experiences.
How do Taco Flats - Lakeway and Junction Prime distinguish themselves compared to your other ventures?
Taco Flats, a local chain with four stores and a presence at Austin FC, has become a local staple. We’re known for serving some of the best frozen margaritas and tacos in town. Our tortillas are homemade, and our drinks are made with fresh-squeezed citrus, ensuring that our food and cocktail programs maintain the highest quality even after 10 years.
In late 2022, we expanded by purchasing the historic Antler’s Inn, which served as the original movie set for the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. On those 8 acres, we created a town square and added Junction Prime, a steak and seafood restaurant in Kingsland, part of the Highland Lakes area. At Junction Prime, we bring in fresh fish daily and source prime meat from top ranches. The moody ambiance, paired with a curated wine and cocktail menu, offers a unique dining experience on Lake LBJ.
How do you keep your menus fresh and exciting while staying true to your brand?
Taco Flats and Junction Prime Steakhouse may be under the same management, but they have distinct approaches to sourcing and serving food. At Taco Flats, we focus on making everything in-house, from our tortillas to our salsas and marinades. What we are proud of is our commitment to being a fresh, never frozen establishment. Our crowd favorites include the Pirata and Gringa tacos, as well as the fresh tuna tostadas. And, of course, our frozen margarita is a standout—it's lights out!
Junction Prime, on the other hand, takes a different approach. We source our meat from MTX Ranch and Dean and Peeler, ensuring top-quality cuts, while our seafood comes from Austin Seafood, a purveyor that brings in fresh fish from all over the world. Our greens and microgreens are supplied by smaller, specialized vendors. Among our offerings, the dry-aged ribeye and Cajun pasta are personal favorites, and our smoked prime rib, available on Thursdays.
How have you navigated the challenges of expanding your restaurant concepts while maintaining quality and adapting to market shifts?
All of our concepts are managed by the same management company, so our patrons know what to expect in terms of quality. The versatility of our group is what I believe contributes to the culinary scene. However, the journey hasn't been without challenges. Due to inflation, food costs have skyrocketed, and we've noticed a drop in consumption over the last 12 months. Despite these challenges, we believe that places like ours will recover as the market stabilizes. We've always had family-friendly restaurants, and expanding into Lakeway felt like a natural fit for Taco Flats. As for the Highland Lakes expansion, it happened somewhat by accident—we saw an opportunity as the area started to grow, and decided to bring our concept to a new community.
Reflecting on your career, what’s your proudest achievement, and what advice would you give to aspiring restaurateurs?
There isn't a single moment that stands out as my proudest. As our group of restaurants grows, the work gets harder. I'm just happy that we still exist and that I have the drive and motivation to keep doing cool stuff. My advice to aspiring restaurateurs is simple: you have to stay with it. Restaurants are tough, but if you pay attention and truly enjoy what you do, success is in the makeup of the operator.