At the crossroads of Mexican cuisine and Kansas City barbecue, Chef Roman Raya has established himself as a mainstay. Chef Raya has climbed the ladder from starting food truck Taco Tank to co-owning the flagship brick-and-mortar Barbacoa along with Madeline Buechter. Together, they have curated an experience at Barbacoa that blends Mexican and Kansas City cultures while spreading roots in the local community.

The Pitch: Tell us about yourself.

Chef Raya: I was born and raised here in Kansas City; been here my whole life. My Dad is Mexican and my Mom is white, so I got both cultures. That, along with the entire barbecue scene of Kansas City, really shaped me, so you can kind of see how all of that formed into what we have now. As far as early life, I started out in Northeast for the first

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