[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]t its Instagram peak, Teddy's Red Tacos had 100,000 followers—a testament to the popularity and to nearly two years of hard work for Teddy Vasquez's fledgling birria empire. It even had the coveted blue checkmark with which Instagram anoints official IG elite status.
[UPDATE: Since this story was published, someone at Facebook reached out to L.A. Taco and we connected them with Teddy. They were able to get his original account back.]
"Instagram, for a restaurant, is everything," Vasquez told L.A. Taco. "It's like marketing, how you communicate with your customers, and basically proof that you exist."
A few weeks ago, Vasquez got a private Whatsapp message with a link. He clicked and within seconds his Instagram account was stolen, then gone, then resurrected under new control, then gone again. The whole thing – including the struggle to get it back – has become a microcosm for the short and meteoric ride Vasquez has had as he navigates the wild roads of trendy restaurant stardom.
'Greedy and unethical people see that and try to take advantage of that.'