Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit

Speaker Spotlight: Daniel Camp, Fuzzy's Taco Shop

Daniel Camp, director of Culinary at Fuzzy's Taco Shop, shares a look at his career, his achievements and industry trends ahead of his appearance at Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit 2025.

Image: Willie Lawless/ Networld Media Group

January 31, 2025

Today we're shining a spotlight on Daniel Camp, director of culinary for Fuzzy's Taco Shop. Camp will be a speaker at the upcoming Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit, which takes place on March 11-13, 2025, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He will be a panelist on a breakout session titled "2025 Menu Trends: Can You Really Please Everybody?"

We thought it would be fun to get to know Camp a bit better ahead of her appearance at RFIS.

Describe your current role.

I am the executive chef and head of food and beverage innovation at Fuzzy's Taco Shop. My role is tasked with food and beverage ideation, recipe creation, BOH operations, kitchen design and everything in between. I work closely with our internal team and franchisee partners to continue to evolve and develop our menu to create craveable options our guests love, and that are profitable for our partners.

What inspired you to work in your industry?

My inspiration for working in this industry is simple — it's all about my love of food. Food is what nourishes and sustains us. It often creates some of the strongest memories we have, as it is when we are sitting around a table with our friends and family that we are truly living life. I was surrounded by food, from farming to cooking, from a young age.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

My favorite part of my job is that no two days are the same. Every day looks different whether I am in the kitchen, in a franchisee's restaurant, in the office, or doing a competitive visit at another restaurant. I also get to play in both the creative artistic realm and the more precise scientific realm when creating recipes.

Who is/was your mentor and what's one important lesson you learned from them?

Antonio Iocchi, is a long-time friend and mentor of mine. He has taught me many things over the years, but probably the most important is to enjoy life. Love what you do. Take time off. Spend quality time with your friends and family. Appreciate what you have.

What do you do to have fun outside of work?

I love spending time with my wife and three children, all under the age of 8. We always have something going on!

Where did you grow up and how did your upbringing impact the person you are today?

I was born and grew up in south Louisiana. I think Louisiana is very special, and so different than any other state. From the people, the culture, the food- there are so many things that make it special. I think growing up in that environment not only nurtured my love for food, but my love for different people and different cultures.

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