Who Are You? Brian Graff, Intergalactic Tacos

You may recognize the black taco truck around town adorned with portraits of women of influence but who drives it? Who is the person behind some of the best tacos in town? That’s Brian Graff, owner of Intergalactic Tacos. We were able to catch up over a charcuterie board and discuss the vision of the truck and RVA dining with the latest version of Who Are You?

What inspired you to not only put local art on the truck but the work of a female (Emily Herr) that features all sorts of influential ladies?

As a small business owner, I know how important it is to keep your dollars in the local economy as long as possible. Richmond has a rich pool of talent when it comes to street art and it was logical to seek such talent at home. Emily’s work speaks for itself. I was instantly drawn to it upon discovering her @girlsgirlsgirlstour via Instagram. I approached her with a kernel of an idea and she just ran with it. She absolutely crushed it beyond my wildest dreams. It’s important for people that look like me to step back and allow women and other marginalized identity’s take up as much space we give straight, white men.

Now that the weather is getting colder and food truck season is winding down, can the truck be rented for parties and how?

Food truck season is year-round for us! We maintain our brewery presence throughout the year, but we can also be rented out for any event that needs catering. We recently added a second catering trailer to our fleet, so we now can be at two places at the same time.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Where do you see the mobile dining scene?

Where do I see the truck in 5 years? Well, after the Climate Wars of 2024, I see the truck converted into a Mad Max style foodie battle wagon traveling from armored enclave to armored enclave selling muskrat tacos and lightly irradiated Rocket Sauce to the embattled refugees as we dodge the scavengers along a pockmarked Broad Street is a post-apocalyptic hellscape.

What advantages do you have with operating a food truck instead of brick and mortar?

In the words of The Little Mermaid, “I want to be where the people are!” As a food truck we have the ability to travel to popular breweries, lunch stops, area festivals, etc. We can seek out our target audience wherever they happen to be.

What would you like to see more of in the Richmond scene (dining or otherwise)? Less of?

Chris over at Sylvanaqua Farms has been making a ton of points that I’ve been thinking about. Like him, I would like to see more honest & accessible “farm to table” options. $19 cheeseburgers & truffle fries and $32 half chickens aren’t accessible to everyone. But I guess when you are a brick and mortar you have to pay for all those Edison bulbs and uncomfortable bar stools. We source 100% of our proteins locally, including our Vegan options. And you can get 3 pretty darn fillings tacos for $12. And even that price point isn’t accessible to everyone! But at least you can rest a little easier knowing it all came from farmers in Virginia putting their blood sweat and tears back into the earth. Not buying another vacation home.

I would like to see less weird underhanded politicking and competitiveness in the #rvadine scene. We are all hustling to make our dollar. I would like to see more collaboration and help across racial and class lines. We are all in this together and I promise you it’s easier when you don’t always have to watch your back!