Rocco Mangel
Restaurateur
Since opening the first Rocco’s Tacos in West Palm Beach on Clematis Street 16 years ago, namesake owner Rocco Mangel has been bringing authentic Mexican cuisine across the border. The native Long Islander relocated to West Palm in 1997 and began working at Big City Tavern, located in the same spot where his first taco joint is today. Although he doesn’t have Mexican heritage, Mangel has gone to Mexico upwards of 50 times and even lived there for six months to study how tequila is produced.
Business was flourishing and life seemed picture perfect for the restaurateur when he was thrown a curveball in September 2016 with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Despite the strongest margarita on the menu, Rocco Mango, being named after him, he’s been sober since his diagnosis. His health battle has truly shaped him into the man he is today.
“I want to be the guy that my daughters want to marry,” the father of two says. “Being humble, sober and getting diagnosed with an incurable disease is the reason I’m so philanthropic and I pay it forward.”
With the help of friends, family and colleagues, Mangel has raised more than a million dollars for the MS Society. He also frequently partners with celebrities who own tequila brands such as Mark Wahlberg, Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, Eva Longoria and friend Guy Fieri to raise money for charities close to their hearts by hosting meet-and-greets at Rocco’s Tacos. Causes that have benefited include breast cancer awareness, addiction recovery, the Police Benevolent Association and wildfire relief efforts in Maui.
His name is in big neon lights on every Rocco’s building, but don’t be surprised if Mangel is the one clearing your table. “I tell people I’m just a glorified bus boy. I love bussing tables, mopping floors and doing everything,” he says. “My motto is that nobody works for me. Everybody works with me, and I’ll work with them and together we achieve the same goal.”
Offering over 300 bottles of tequila and known for tableside guacamole service and traditional lava rock molcajetes, Rocco’s Tacos is in a period of expansion and renovation. The brand plans to grow its footprint in 2024 and to continue seeking out opportunities for new locations in Florida and beyond, as well as remodel existing locations in Orlando and South Florida.
Rocco’s Tacos, Shops at Boca Center, 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561-416-2131, roccostacos.com
Power Players Special Advertising Section