Congratulations to Canisius alumnus Pete Cimino ’03 and his business partner and childhood friend Chris Dorsaneo, who accepted a $250,000 investment in exchange for a 25 percent stake in Lloyd Taco. The deal came down after some intense negotiations Tuesday night during CNBC’s reality series “Restaurant Startup.”
The pair will use the $250,000 to open a brick and mortar restaurant on Hertel Avenue between Wellington and Sterling Avenues later this spring.
Lloyd Taco Truck was launched in 2010 as Buffalo’s first food truck. Soon, Lloyd fans eagerly checked social media (@whereslloyd) to find out where the truck would be, and gladly waited in long lines to get a taste of their favorite burrito or taco. Lloyd has also become a popular addition to Canisius events, including Spring Fest and Homecoming.
The Lloyd Taco Truck fleet has increased to four, which makes it the largest of more than 20 local food truck operations. Cimino and Dorsaneo spearheaded the passing of a Buffalo food truck permit law that has fostered a mobile-food boom.
A Kenmore native, Cimino is a 2003 cum laude graduate of Canisius with a degree in mathematics and teacher education.
Click here to read The Buffalo News article about Cimino ’03 and Dorsaneo winning CNBC’s “Restaurant Startup.”
Submitted by: Marketing and Communication
