Chicas Tacos

Chef Eduardo Ruiz is the Director of Tacos and co-founder of Chicas Tacos, the Culinary + Beverage Director for BLVD Companies, as well as one of the early pioneers of the Alta California culinary movement. Chef Eduardo rapidly rose to culinary fame with his acclaimed restaurant, Corazon Y Miel where Chef Eduardo, partner Robin Chopra, and the Corazon team received consecutive inclusion on Jonathan Gold’s Los Angeles Times 101 Best List, as well as Mr. Gold’s selection of Best Mexican Restaurants. The restaurant enjoyed a stunning three star review from Los Angeles magazine restaurant critic Patric Kuh, and Ruiz was honored as a semi-finalist by The James Beard Foundation for Rising Star Chef of the Year. He was awarded the esteemed honor of Zagat's Los Angeles 30 Under 30, and in February 2015, Ruiz participated in the Taste of Waldorf Astoria via the Beard Foundation where he and Chef Jimmy Schmidt of Waldorf La Quinta brought home the Audience Favorite award. Most recently, Chef Eduardo was selected as one of America’s Best Mexican American Chefs by Food and Wine, and he also brought home the Taco de Chef award at Bill Esparza’s first annual Taqueando Festival in Downtown Los Angeles.

Chris Blanchard was a prominent LA marketing veteran prior to cofounding Chicas Tacos in 2016. Through his passion for all things Mexico (from tacos to tequila), Chris stepped up to run Chicas Tacos from its inception to today. Chris oversees all day to day operations of of Chicas Tacos. But don’t let that fool you. You’ll frequently see him behind the counter taking orders or at the expo line maintaining the consistency and quality that Chicas Tacos has become known for.

Jon Blanchard is a proven hospitality pioneer, hotelier, and market visionary with an accomplished track-record of nationally-renowned hospitality projects. Jon founded BLVD Hospitality in 2008, and after spearheading downtown Los Angeles’ first adaptive reuse hospitality project with the historic renovation of the United Artists’ Building and Theatre into the award winning Ace Hotel, Jon set his sights on the rekindled LA hospitality development renaissance. BLVD, under the vision of Blanchard, is creating and developing some of the industry’s most anticipated hospitality and real estate projects in Los Angeles and beyond. Jon is full-time at BLVD, but spends 5-10 hours per week on Chicas Tacos.

Nicolo Rusconi is a passion-based hospitality entrepreneur, hotelier, and brand experience architect with a portfolio that spans industries. In addition to co-founding BLVD, Nico cofounded fast-casual restaurant brand Chicas Tacos as well as the Arts District espresso bar and lounge, RVCC Intersect. He was selected for Zagat's 30 under 30 in 2016 for his creativity and vision in hospitality; he currently sits on the board of directors for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps; and he is a founding partner in the DTLA-focused event collective, LaunchDTLA. Nico supports high-level brand, marketing, creative, and investment endeavors for Chicas Tacos. He runs BLVD Hospitality full-time and spends approximately 10-15 hours per week on Chicas Tacos.

Ronit Gieske is an F&B operations rockstar with over 15 years of management experience at companies like Hillstone, David Meyers Groups (Hinoki + the Bird), and most recently as Director of New Store Openings at Tender Greens. Ronit oversees all unit operations and operational strategy across the Chicas portfolio.