Meet the duo behind Gainesville’s forthcoming fusion…

The Kinseys’ commitment to fresh, quality ingredients is tangible in other Taqueria Tsunami staples as well, like the margaritas concocted with fresh-squeezed lime juice, guacamole made with fresh avocados, homemade empanadas and avocado cilantro egg rolls, which are rolled daily in-house — all of which diners can enjoy for $12-$14 per person per meal, according to Alexis.

“We don’t buy anything and just put it in a fryer, everything’s handmade,” Alexis said. “We really focus on having quality food for a reasonable price point. It’s challenging with inflation and everything else, but we’ve always been a place where you can bring your family and not feel like you’re still hungry when you leave.”

So, why are the Kinseys bringing their “fun, contemporary restaurant” concept to Gainesville?

From the Kinseys’ vantage point, downtown Gainesville bears a striking resemblance to the early days of the Marietta square, and they’re eager to play a role in the city’s ongoing development as they bring “something new and unique” to the plates of local gastronomes.

“We hope to become a cornerstone of the community and become somewhere people think about going, want to go, have a destination to go to,” Alexis said. “The location, the community feel — those are very important things to us when we look for a restaurant location. We try to ingrain ourselves in the community and help support the people who support us.”

As “very community-driven” restaurateurs, the Kinseys and Taqueria Tsunami by extension involve themselves in schools by way of athletic and band sponsorships, charitable initiatives and fundraising events, in addition to pouring a portion of their sales into Red Cross disaster relief efforts.

“We’ve found that the heart of the community is where we get success with our different restaurants; be part of the community, give back to the community and the community will give to you,” Scott said.

The restaurant is accepting applications for all positions, especially manager candidates, Alexis said, noting the couple plan to staff the Gainesville locations with 50-65 local employees.