In the United States, alone and with a family to bring as soon as possible to my side, one job was not enough to raise the money to make it. The Fresh, as I tell you, got my second day job in the day. A position hated by many but necessary for me. At that time I still didn’t know English so we’ll call him “dishwasher”. They had never seen a dishwasher faster than me, so I only lasted one day in that position at that very American place called STUBBS BBQ. I was so fast and effective that my direct boss immediately promoted me to another position called “brisket cutter” that’s where I got a knife experience like nowhere else I’ve ever held one in my hands.

Well, with my two jobs I was able to bring my family from Mexico City to Austin TX, rent an apartment and buy my first car in the United States. A truck that they wouldn’t give five dollars for it, but for me it was an indispensable tool to be able to get to my jobs and take my family around. What more could I have wished for at that time than that Voyager van that I had a few months ago, because you don’t know, but I got to sleep a few times outside the gas stations as a “homeless” as they call there to those who have no place to live. But I tell you something, I still remember and enjoy that pain and sadness that I felt because it helps me not to forget where I came from and to know where I am going. I remember it and my eyes fill with tears and I take more courage to continue on this hard road of entrepreneurship.

One day I wake up and tell my wife, I can’t stand being someone’s employee anymore. Right now I am going to look for a kitchen or some place where I can cook and sell something. I don’t want to continue being an employee of anyone, much less of a “gringo”.

I crossed the street, which was in front of the apartments where we lived, to go buy a coffee at a convenience store called Stassney Food Mart, which is the store of a Texaco gas station. As I was pouring my coffee, I turned to see the store’s kitchen to see what I could buy to eat, since at that moment I was so hungry that it seemed like two. Well, as you may know, there was only Kentucky style fried chicken, burritos and potatoes, obviously all defrosted and fried as is the custom of my “gringo” friends. At that moment I stopped to think and I said…: mmmmmmm this is a Hispanic neighborhood and they sell that? I think my countrymen don’t like that style, unless they are already used to it. But I said “naaa” I don’t think so, even if that’s all there is, I wouldn’t get used to it. Well, I said, I think some good tacos would stick here, that’s real food for us!!!

When I paid for my coffee and a Bimbo sweet bread, of course, I asked the cashier if they didn’t rent the kitchen, to which he replied that he didn’t know and that he would have to check with his boss. I immediately asked him who he was and he told me his name is Sohil and you will find him early tomorrow morning.

I went on with my normal work day, but it was not, because all day I spent the whole day thinking about how I could get them to rent that kitchen and sell something, because I still did not get the idea of carnitas at that time. It was when I was on my way back home, tired and hungry that I said!!! some carnitas! !!!! At some point my wife and I were talking in Mexico City and I said that imagine putting some carnitas in the United States, it would be a hitazo!!!! and well….
lotería!!! it came to my mind to make carnitas in that kitchen and sell them.

I quickly got home to tell my wife about the idea and we immediately understood that it was a good idea to set up carnitas there as if it were a Cdmx type stand. I couldn’t sleep well all night because of the excitement and how I was going to explain it to the Indian man in charge of the store because, obviously, he had no idea what it was like. It was a big task to explain to him in detail what our idea was to sell carnitas there.

At 7 a.m. the next day, a week after the opening of Carnitas El Güero,
talking with Sohil, the Indian, a very big problem came to my mind: I had no money to rent the kitchen, I don’t know how I kept thinking about a business without even having the money to set one up. Well that’s what I call faith.
I told Sohil my problem and he quickly told me, don’t worry, let’s do something, I don’t charge you rent but you are going to give me 20% of the total sales you make and with the rest you buy all the supplies you need… and that’s how this great story began.
Don’t think that everything was rosy from that moment on, there were some inconveniences and I wanted to go and throw my dipper and my knife in the middle of the interstate highway. And you know why, because I couldn’t sell a damn thing. It was so hard to sell carnitas there, I was about to close about 50 times, but there was something inside me that told me: don’t do it, you have a family to support and two jobs that you gave up. So there was no turning back, as of December 17, 2016 the word give up ceased to exist in my vocabulary. Now we already have 6 Restaurants and about to open the 7th in my neighborhood and hometown. Mexico City.

Want some good advice? Never let anyone tell you that you can’t, especially if you don’t have the money. You can make a good business, even if you only have a pen and a piece of paper to be able to shape your project.

Gustavo Reyes “El Güero”.