Meet Ben King | Cheese Technician & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben King and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Every decision we make includes a consideration of risk and reward. Sounds simple enough but it can get complicated fast when we start taking all factors into account (both known and unknown). At a certain point too, there has to be a leap of faith because you will never know the outcome unless you try it. When we were first starting there was a small amount of risk to setting up the business, to buying all of our equipment, to getting all of our legal permits in order. Money needed to be laid out for us to even test our idea. We considered the risk, decided to move forward with our idea and were ultimately able to minimize risk by keeping operational costs low and lean. It paid off and the reward was greater than the risk. As we move forward with goals of expansion, there are countless other decisions we make weighing risk and reward. We are opening up a new facility in Aurora this March and this is undoubtedly our riskiest move yet. It takes more money to set up another kitchen, to invest in new equipment, to pay rent. Add to that the fact we will be in a new area, trying out a new delivery/take out business model. There are a plethora of risk unknowns but we have decided to continue forward. Any decision or path forward carries with it some inherent risk. At a certain point it is important to recognize the risk of choices, to find one that you feel the best about, and to have faith in it and your attempt to grow. No matter the outcome, you will learn something new and have access to a whole other set of decisions, each weighed with their own risks and rewards.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are in the business of dealing exceptional differentiated quesadillas. As both lovers of Mexican food, we wanted something to pay homage to but also expand upon the classic quesadilla. Tacos and burritos are the popular kids and we are set on giving quesadillas an extreme makeover. We believe this sets us apart and also provides a substantial foundation to provide an amazing selection of food where people scratch their head and say, “on a quesadilla??” We started in 2020 with a food cart in Boulder. It was a limited menu and we would park around various locations in Boulder. Then we started growing business relationships and began to park at breweries and other designated locations. We began to integrate more in the community and have been invited to various local events. Then we got a permit and have been selling on Pearl St for the late night bar crowd. Now we are extremely excited to announce our new location in Aurora, which is set to go live March 1st 2022. With a ghost kitchen focus on deliveries and to-gos, it is a different route which brings with it excitement and risk It was not easy to get here and the path was more like a DNA strand than a hallway. Overcoming challenges simply came as a test of flexibility. Of seeing the problem at hand and dealing with the solution in a creative way, or simply just putting in the hard work to get the result we wanted. Being flexible and willing to change pieces as they come, and keeping an open mindset that allows for course correction. The biggest lesson we’ve learned is the value of business relationships. It is invaluable to make meaningful connections with as many people and organizations as possible. Not only is this better for business, it feels good to be part of a bigger whole – making contributions to a larger community. Relating to the brand we want people to know the true versatility of a quesadilla and the limitless potential of its creativity. For our story we want people to know that no matter how small or insignificant you start at, it is possible to grow and to develop into something bigger than it’s component pieces.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The best trip would be a mix of experiences. Probably start off in nature, doing a hike around Red Rocks or driving into the mountains to experience some tranquility. Maybe go for a ski if it was the right season. Then in the city no trip would be complete without a visit to Elitch Gardens or to the Natural history museum. If time allowed, I would head over to the Town Center at Aurora to pick up a quesadilla and browse the shops.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people throughout our history that deserve a shoutout. The first and foremost are our customers. Their positive feedback and great interactions are what have ultimately made this business fun, and what keeps it running. They also provide a feedback loop for us to be able to try out new things to see what works and what doesn’t. Along the same vein are other businesses/organizations that we have partnered with. From breweries to museums to dispensaries, we are very grateful for those who have given us a platform and location to sell quesadillas. The mutual benefit of the cooperation is always satisfying and being able to support one another through networking is a valuable thing. Even things like this shoutout we recognize as significant, and thank the people involved to be part of it.

Website: https://kingcomos.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingcomosquesadillas/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-dilla-79626b1ab/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kingcomosquesadillas/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kingcomos-quesadillas-boulder