Hector Valles Fernandez is a Sydney-based hospitality entrepreneur and co-founder of Radio Taco, the cult-favourite taqueria that has quickly made waves from its Chippendale home. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Hector brings deep cultural roots and firsthand experience of Mexican street-food traditions to his work, pairing authenticity with a sharp understanding of the Australian dining landscape.
Before launching Radio Taco, Hector founded Ola Lola Cafe and later Ola Lola Catering & Events, a Latin-inspired catering business that built a loyal following across SydneyOs markets, festivals and private events. Through this venture, he developed strong operational expertise across pop-ups, high-volume service, brand building and community-driven hospitality, skills that now underpin Radio TacoOs success.
Radio Taco was born from a desire to keep things simple and focused: great food, done properly, for locals. Alongside his co-founders, Hector has helped shape a business that embraces small footprints, tight menus and neighbourhood energy, while still achieving standout demand and commercial viability. The venueOs birria-led offering has resonated strongly with inner-city diners and beyond, proving that suburban-scale concepts can punch well above their weight.
On this panel, Hector will share insights on building restaurants that truly serve their local communities, balancing authenticity with scalability, and what it takes to create destination dining experiences outside traditional CBD fine-dining models.