Mi Cocina CEO Edgar Guevara says business extends beyond food
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — His restaurants are a staple in North Texas. But, for the CEO of the popular Mi Cocina chain, business extends beyond food—it's about familia.
"I started eating at Mi Cocina 22 or 23 years ago when I moved to Dallas," Edgar Guevara said. "I was just enamored by the level of service, the quality of the food, the ambiance. So, when I was given the opportunity to come in and support the organization, I jumped on it."
For Guevara, being in charge of the chain has been a lesson in getting back to his roots.
"I think one of the things we focus on is being comfortable in our own skin and giving people that sense of community," he said. "You know, we talk a lot about being a collection of neighborhood restaurants, and it's easy to put on paper, harder to execute because each community we're in is a little bit different."
As the CEO of M Crowd Restaurant Group, Guevara has focused on bringing his love for good quality food and family values to revitalizing the chain. His restaurants serve tradition with a generous side of a sense of family.
"We really focus on taking care of each other and making sure we look out for the best interest of people that work here," he said.
Through the Mi Familia fund that Guevara implemented about a year-and-a-half ago, he has been able to help support his employees financially by offering tuition assistance, medical debt relief and more.
"I really wanted a way to recognize the people that helped us get here and we have a lot of tenured people that work in our restaurants, and so we created a nonprofit fund that allows us to support people across the organization when they have a time of need," Guevara said.
Benefits including paid vacation time and 401(k) contributions have created a way for employees to grow; with an emphasis on hiring from within to fill managerial roles.
"It's my responsibility as a leader in the organization to make sure the actions and behaviors that we take align with being a family," he said. "There's a lot of companies that talk about being a family and, to me, it's about the actions."
In fact, every one of their restaurants has a picture of who they call, 'Mama,' who embodies everything about Hispanic culture.
"She could be any one of our grandmothers, making sure the food is made from scratch every day and there's the kind of love that grandmothers have for their grandchildren," Guevara said.
And as for what he thinks of when it comes to Hispanic Heritage Month, Guevara said he is reminded of other Hispanic people who have moved into strong leadership positions and how they all serve as role models.
"I'd like to be able to give people the opportunity to look at my success, where I started with a single mom in El Paso, Texas, and I think I provide the opportunity for young Hispanic kids and more along the way to say, 'Hey, maybe I can do that," he said. "If we can get a few more people to grow their careers and be influential in the community, I think that's a win for all of us."