Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Hermosa and Julio Gonzalez.
Hi Veronica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Veronica Hermosa. I’m from Austin, Texas and I co-own/operate Bat Wings Co. in downtown Buda, Texas with my partner Julio Gonzalez. We met in 2010 in our early 20’s and began dating shortly after. As relationships at that age tend to go, we broke up and drifted our separate ways. But as fate would have it, we reconnected years later after he moved back home to Texas from Illinois in 2018. We discovered that despite the past and the paths we went down, we still had strong feelings for each other. So, we decided to give it another go. As we delved back into our relationship, things aligned for us to get into a new business venture. My family is very entrepreneurial, and we saw the need for chicken wings in Buda, Texas. We decided that we wanted to be the ones to fulfill that need. Once the decision was made, we hit the ground running working on business planning, market research, and concept development. We leveraged Julio’s background in hospitality and restaurant management, combined it with my experience in customer service and small business management to create a fun experience with an exceptional product. With support and feedback from our family and friends, we were able to bring Bat Wings Co. to life in the fall of 2019.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Bat Wings Co. opened in the fall of 2019 and by the spring of 2020, the world shut down. New businesses are stressful as it is, not to mention adding a global pandemic. We lost our brick-and-mortar location in Kyle, Texas, inside Papa Jack’s bar and ended up having to let our staff go. Luckily, we were still able to operate our food truck in Downtown Buda, Texas. While it has been a roller coaster of uncertainty for a lot of businesses across the county, we’re fortunate that Buda has a tight-knit community that encourages shopping locally. We could not have made it through the pandemic without their support.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bat Wings Co.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
As hilarious as it is to be asked; no, we do not sell actual bat wings! The branding concept came from Julio’s love of comic books. As a young introvert growing up, he dove into superhero stories. He especially enjoyed the Batman series and has continued his fandom ever since. We took from some of his favorite characters to create our signature wing flavors. Our list currently includes Sinestro (habanero honey mustard), Sensei (sweet Thai chili), Poison Ivy (pesto), and Big Daddy (spicy BBQ). We intend to add more to the list, so be on the lookout! We really take pleasure in the creative freedom that comes with our quirky branding. Julio gets to run wild with his comic-book interest and incorporate it with his love of food. I’m the supporting role that brings the ideas to life. Over the years, I’ve helped family and friends with their businesses by taking/editing photos, creating drag-and-drop websites, and simple graphics. I got to hone in on those skills, having to take on the marketing for Bat Wings Co. out of necessity. Expanding my business and marketing knowledge while getting to create memes for work is a big win for me. Speaking of wins, we received exciting news recently! At the beginning of the year, Hays Free Press hosts nominations to recognize the best services of the previous year in their “Best Of North Hays”. Bat Wings Co. was nominated for best wings in their Food & Drink category for 2020, and we won! After the trying year we had, it’s awesome to know that people are big fans of our wings. Bat Wings Co. is such a labor of love for both of us, and we’re extremely thankful that we’ve been able to continue operating. Besides winning best wings, I think the coolest thing that happened was when Gary Clark Jr. came into our Kyle location to order our wings. As luck would have it, Julio and I were not working that night. Our staff was super excited and sent us a picture. It’s even cooler that he’s also a big Batman fan!
What’s next?
While the setbacks from the past year make it a little hard to think too far into the future, our biggest goal is to have our own brick-and-mortar restaurant. Julio has always envisioned a beer garden or venue. Being from Austin, I enjoy and miss live events so much! Once we’re in a safe position to have gatherings again, we want to get back into hosting and catering live events.
Pricing:
- 6pc traditional or boneless wings $9
- 10pc traditional or boneless wings $13
- 20pc traditional or boneless wings $25
- Cauliflower wings $9
- Brussel Sprouts Appetizer $9
Contact Info:
- Email: info@batwingsco.com
- Website: www.batwingsco.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/batwingscompany
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BatWingsCo
Image Credits
Nikki Acosta
