Flavor Trailblazer: Venecia Willis

Few restaurant brands have built innovation into their DNA quite like Velvet Taco. Since its inception, the fast-casual concept has introduced guests to globally inspired flavors using tacos as a vehicle for discovery. That spirit comes to life through the brand’s Weekly Taco Feature (WTF), a platform that launches a new taco every week of the year and serves as both an innovation engine and testing ground for future menu items.

For Venecia Willis, director of culinary, that means balancing ambitious flavor exploration with operational realities. From African chile peppers and regional Indian cuisine to nostalgic food memories reimagined as tacos, Willis shares how Velvet Taco filters trends, manages a 52-week innovation pipeline and introduces unfamiliar flavors to guests across the country.

Katie Ayoub: Describe your role at Velvet Taco.
Venecia Willis: I’m the director of culinary, so I’m in charge of all innovation, both food and beverage. I’ve been with the brand since 2022.

KA: When it comes to menu innovation, what is the biggest challenge right now?
VW: I think the biggest challenge is supply issues. As a midsized brand, we still run into situations where we want to feature an ingredient, but it’s difficult to source or distribute nationally. For example, we’re currently working on a Paella Taco and found a spice blend we really like. The challenge is that it isn’t set up through our distributor. We get excited about a product, start developing around it and then realize it’s not actually available at scale. Sometimes we have to bring products into our office, portion them ourselves and ship them to restaurants. That’s where things get challenging.

KA: The Weekly Taco Feature is a defining part of the Velvet Taco brand. How does that program work?
VW: The WTF has been part of the brand DNA since its inception. It started as a way to offer something fresh and outside the core menu, but today it’s also a testing ground for future innovation. At this point, we probably have 500 WTF recipes. Sometimes we bring back a guest favorite, and sometimes it’s something completely new. The great thing is that the risk is minimal because it’s only for a week. That gives us permission to do fun, outlandish things and see what guests think.

KA: Launching 52 tacos a year sounds daunting. How do you manage it?
VW: We’ve started experimenting with themed blocks. Instead of introducing completely unrelated tacos every week, we might focus on Mediterranean flavors for a period of time. That helps with ingredient utilization because we’re not bringing in new SKUs every week. If we’re already using garbanzo beans for one taco, maybe we can use them across several features during that period.

KA: How do you filter trends through the Velvet Taco lens?
VW: We look at trends through a global lens. One of the things I love is that we’ve made tikka popular in smaller Texas markets like Lubbock. The taco becomes the vessel—it’s familiar, approachable, and it allows us to introduce flavors that might otherwise feel intimidating. Something like green Sriracha is a great example. People already know Sriracha, so presenting it in a different way makes it easier for them to try.

KA: Where are you finding the most inspiration right now?
VW: We’re spending a lot of time looking at African chile peppers and regional Indian cuisine. I think there’s a lot of opportunity there. What excites me is taking some of those flavors that can feel unfamiliar and making them more approachable. We’re also looking at cuisines that sit between cultures, like Indian-Chinese cooking, and exploring ways to translate those flavors through the Velvet Taco lens.

KA: What are your “sacred cow” menu items?
VW: The Tikka Taco is definitely one. It’s been around almost since the beginning. The Mexicali Shrimp Taco is another big one, and Brisket Taco has been on the menu since inception. Those are the items guests expect to see every time they visit.

KA: Does nostalgia play a role in your innovation process?
VW: Absolutely. I think about nostalgia more as food memories. If I can create a taco that triggers a memory for a guest, I feel like I have them for life. We’re seeing nostalgia opportunities right now with things like the Southern chicken salad craze. I immediately started asking myself, “How does chicken salad play into a taco?” Stay tuned…. We’ve done a really good job translating familiar foods like meatball subs into taco form. It’s about capturing those same flavor memories while presenting them in a way that’s uniquely Velvet Taco.

KA: How do you approach the value equation today?
VW: In recent years, we’ve become more intentional about it. We’ve introduced combo offerings that give guests a way to experience the menu at a great value—and that also help new guests navigate what can feel like an overwhelming number of choices. For us, it’s never just about price. It’s about making the brand feel accessible. We’ve also leaned into Tikka Tuesday because the Tikka Taco is our highest-performing flavor profile. On Tuesdays, we offer it at the same price it was when it first launched. And most recently, we introduced Velvet for Two: four tacos, two sides and two beverages for $25. It’s honestly an incredible deal for the quality you’re getting, and it gives guests a natural way to experience the breadth of the menu together.

QUICKFIRE

Source of inspiration:
Talking to people. Every day at the lunch table, we’ll share our best meals or something we’re curious about. Beyond that, I’m on TikTok a lot. It allows me to see how guests are engaging with us and with food in general.

Something in your fridge that would surprise people:
Miracle Whip! It’s a great base for creamy salads like potato salad and coleslaw because the sweetness is already built in. It’s also really delicious on grilled cheese sandwiches—I layer it on top after the bread is toasted.

Best bite you’ve had recently:
The French Dip at Gus’ Sip & Dip in Chicago. Delicious.

Cuisine you’re excited about:
Latin cuisine. I love seeing tacos and Latin flavors elevated into fine-dining environments. Tacos are such an interactive food, and I love seeing those boundaries broken.

Go-to late-night snack:
The Artichoke-Jalapeño Dip from Costco is a staple for me. If not that, then a blueberry granola—low sugar, high protein, cinnamon and blueberry. I love it.