This Friday, January 11th will be a very special day. It will mark the 20th anniversary of Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen. There was absolutely no way I could have predicted on that fateful day what the future of Gringo’s had in store. Nor could I have imagined the impact it would make, not only in my life, but also in the lives of so many others. I am grateful beyond measure. There have been a lot of lessons I have learned while on this incredible journey. The best part about it? It’s not over!

Before I continue, I believe there are a few “fun” facts about myself that you should know. First, in school I was a “C” student at best. I never graduated from college, married at 18 years old, had my first child at 22 and my second child three years later. Actually, both of my kids had the exact same due date. I’ve always been punctual! Anyhow, in my twenties I dabbled in a few unsuccessful business ventures. I lost my house to foreclosure at age 26 and even returned my 1984 Ford Bronco to the dealership where I purchased it because I could no longer afford the payment.

The reason I mention this first, is because I want others to know that just because a company is seen as being very successful, there is always that part of the journey no one ever saw. And, if there is one thing that I have always enjoyed observing, it is a company that has persevered through the tough times in order to get to where they are today. Most successful companies did not start off successful. Whether it is Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s® , or Truett Cathy from Chick-Fil-A®, they all started off with very modest means and went through very difficult challenges before they became the company they are today.

When I pulled the string to turn on the neon “open” sign on January 11, 1993, I can still remember so vividly standing at the window facing the parking lot waiting for the very first car to pull in. I can also still remember the feeling I got when one finally did. It’s a feeling I never, ever want to forget.

Now, flash forward almost 20 years later to Monday, November 19, 2012. My team and I are about to open our second Jimmy Changas in League City. (Jimmy Changas is our sister brand we launched on January 11, 2011.) We are scheduled to open at 4 o’clock, and there is already a line forming outside (of at least 50 guests) waiting to come inside and give us a try. The time is a quarter ‘til 4 and I cannot stand it any longer; watching them wait on us to open the doors. I consider these folks to be the most important people in my life, and the last thing I want to do is make them wait another minute longer. So, after I check with my general manager and kitchen manager to see if everything is ready go, I give the green light to open the doors 15 minutes early. And with that, we launched the opening of our 11th full service restaurant. Jimmy Changas Katy is scheduled to open in early 2014.

If I were to begin thanking everyone who has helped Gringo’s become the company that it is, this newsletter would turn into a book. But, I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge one person in particular. The very first person I hired as I began putting the pieces of the puzzle together to form Gringo’s was Hugo Olvera. Hugo and I had worked together at El-Toro during the 80’s so I knew very well Hugo’s dedication and hard work ethic. As a matter of fact, Hugo earned the nickname – Dos Caballos (Two Horses), simply because he does the work of two men. Gringo’s would not be the company it is today if it were not for Hugo. I’m proud to say that Hugo is still by my side managing our kitchens and making sure that our food quality is being held at the highest standard at each location. Thank you Hugo, I could not have done it without you!

Okay, I lied. There is one other person that I must thank besides my wife, Monica, and of course God, and that is my dad, Eugene Ybarra.

My dad’s parents divorced when he was only three years old. Primarily, his grandmother and several aunts raised him. While playing football in junior high he suffered a broken arm that never healed properly. Because of this, after he graduated from school, he was unable to pass a physical exam – required by most companies in order to be hired. He told me a story once in which he remembers sitting in the doctor’s office during a visit to check his arm, and how depressed he was because he thought his life would never be the same. After graduating from Pasadena High School in 1954 he went to work washing cars, then selling car batteries in order to put food on the table. He got married in 1956 and a year later had the first of eight children. In 1960, he and his uncle Paul went into business and opened a Mexican restaurant in La Porte called, La Porte Mexican Restaurant. Shortly after Hurricane Carla hit the Gulf Coast in 1961, he purchased a restaurant in Clute, Texas called “El-Toro”. He like the El Toro logo so much, he ended up changing the name of the La Porte restaurant to El Toro as well. Today, my dad and five of my siblings run a chain of El Toro Restaurants.

My dad gave me my first job when I was 15 years old and I learned a lot of great principals working for him. If there is one thing that stood out the most, it was the ability to dream. What I appreciate most about my dad was the fact that he never criticized me for making mistakes. And trust me, I made of bunch of them. He allowed me to experiment on his nickel. Sometimes the experiments worked and sometimes they didn’t. Now looking back, I believe every experiment did work because I was able to take away a valuable lesson from each of them – turning a negative into a positive.

I’d like to finish this newsletter by sharing one of my favorite episodes of “The Jefferson’s”. For those who are too young to remember, “The Jefferson’s” was a sitcom that ran from 1975 – 1985 about a successful African American businessman who ran a chain of dry cleaners throughout New York City. On this particular episode, Mr. Jefferson was visiting one of his locations and observed a very elderly customer picking up her dry cleaning. After the cashier told the lady the amount of her bill, she fumbled through her purse looking for money. After a few awkward moments of observing her not able to find her money, Mr. Jefferson stepped in and told her, “Don’t worry about it Mrs. ——, you can pay it next time you come in.” After the elderly lady left the building, the cashier turned to Mr. Jefferson and told him, “Sir, you do know that she does this all the time.” To which Mr. Jefferson responded, “Yeah, I know. But Mrs. —— was my very first customer when I first got started in business many years ago.”

In my opinion, business is about much more than just making money. It is about using that business as a vehicle in order to make a positive impact on those it comes into contact with. From the customers to the employees, from the vendors to the community, everyone benefits when a business realizes that its success is best when shared. I’m very grateful that our company has been able share in its success. That has been my greatest reward. Thank you ~ Russell Ybarra