A Taste of Tenacity: How Little Sombrero’s Eatery is Spicing Up Cape Breton (and Beyond)
Along the winding coastal roads in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the savory scent of sizzling beef and warm tortillas wafts from a brightly decorated trailer. This isn’t your average food truck—it’s Little Sombrero’s Eatery, a mobile hub of Mexican-inspired flavor that’s quickly become a culinary staple across the island. At its heart is Tamara MacDonald, a chef, entrepreneur, and mother whose journey to success was anything but ordinary.
From Coast to Coast—and Back Again
Tamara didn’t always envision herself running a food truck. After completing her training in culinary arts as a ships’ cook in 2019, she ventured west, eventually landing in Edmonton. But when life took an unexpected turn, she made a bold decision: return to her roots in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, with her young child in tow.
“We moved back home, and I tried to get back on my feet,” Tamara says. But finding a good-paying job proved difficult. “With my background, I knew I couldn’t settle for a $15-an-hour job while trying to raise children.”
Rather than accept the status quo, Tamara began brainstorming. One inspiration? Taco night at home with her kids. “We’d make tacos all the time, and I realized—there’s nowhere close around here where you can actually buy tacos. We had to drive two hours to find anything like it.”
That craving for something different sparked a business idea.
Cooking Up a Dream
With determination—and some family backing—Tamara began the search for a food trailer. It wasn’t smooth sailing. “Most of the trailers we found were built for fries and burgers, and I wanted something different,” she explains. “I never wanted to do what everyone else was doing.”
Eventually, she found a trailer in New Brunswick, and bought it – sight unseen – with help from her grandfather. “In hindsight, maybe not the best idea,” she laughs, “but we gutted it and rebuilt it from the ground up.”
As the pieces came together, Tamara turned to CBDC InRich for financial support. “I couldn’t get the loan myself because I’d just gotten a mortgage, so my dad co-signed,” she explains. Though her dad owns 20% of the business on paper, Tamara manages operations on a day-to-day basis.
CBDC’s team provided crucial guidance during the early days. “They didn’t write the plan for me, but they pointed out what needed work,” she recalls. “Once everything was finalized, I got the loan and we were off to the races.”
Finding Flavor—and a Following
In July 2023, Little Sombrero’s Eatery officially opened for business. Tamara quickly carved out a niche by offering something refreshingly new to the food truck circuit: burritos, tacos, quesadillas, rice bowls, and nachos—all packed with vibrant, customizable toppings and gluten-friendly options.
“I didn’t want to be just another fry truck,” Tamara says. “And our customers love that. We have vegetarians, gluten-free folks—people who often don’t have many choices at festivals or food stops.”
Her menu came together through a mix of culinary intuition and logistical planning. “I looked at what other Mexican places were doing across Canada and fit the ideas to my space,” she explains. “Pricing was tough. The first year I tried to be affordable to everyone. But then input costs jumped 20% over the winter, and I had to raise prices. One guy looked at the price and told me, ‘This better be a darn good burrito.’ He came back the next day and said it was totally worth it.”
Business on the Move
Originally based in Port Hawkesbury, Little Sombrero’s now travels extensively throughout Cape Breton and mainland Nova Scotia. “We go from St. Peters to Baddeck to Inverness, even to New Glasgow,” says Tamara. “We try to hit spots every two weeks or so. It’s never the same schedule—just a mix of regular stops and event bookings.”
Running the business while raising kids—especially with a partner who works away for 40 days at a time—is no small feat. “It’s chaotic,” she admits. “Sometimes I get only a few hours a week with my kids. But I’ve got two amazing employees and one that’s fully trained to run the whole operation when I need a break.”
A Community Favourite
If there’s one thing Tamara is most proud of, it’s her customers. “We have people literally dancing up to the trailer, they’re so excited we’re back in town,” she says. “We’re so grateful to have so many repeat customers, many of whom take the time to leave us positive reviews online. That’s huge for me. Our aim is to make people happy.”
Her trailer’s distinctive design also draws attention, featuring cartoon versions of her children on a colorful wrap based on her own sketch. “I drew it on a piece of scrap paper, then a designer turned it into the real thing. People love it—it makes us stand out.”
Looking to the Future
As the business enters its second full season, Tamara is already dreaming of growth. “I wish I’d bought a bigger trailer,” she confesses. “We’re crammed in there. But down the road, I’d love to keep this one and add another, so we can be in two places at once.”
Expansion is on the horizon, but for now, she’s content watching her dream come to life. “We’re not on Instagram or TikTok,” she notes. “Just Facebook. But we’ve got 4,000 followers, and people share our schedule like crazy. Word of mouth is our biggest asset.”
For Tamara MacDonald, Little Sombrero’s isn’t just a business. It’s a lifeline, a creative outlet, and a way to bring flavor and joy to her community—all from a tiny kitchen on wheels.
“I just love how excited people get,” she says. “That makes everything worth it.”