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Mi Cocina CEO inspires others with his journey

CEO of Dallas restaurant inspires others with his journey
CEO of Dallas restaurant inspires others with his journey 04:21

DALLAS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — When you think of great Mexican food in Dallas Fort Worth, the name Mi Cocina has to be included in the conversation. 

Mi Cocina is part of the M Crowd restaurant group, with its latest location in uptown Dallas on McKinney Avenue. Edgar Guevara is proud to be the CEO for five years and counting. 

Guevara said, "I always felt like I wanted to be the first person in my family to provide opportunities for generations to come." 

Today, he is responsible for the daily operation of 22 Mi Cocina restaurants, with more on the way. Guevara grew up in El Paso and was raised by a single mom. Some of his early jobs included bussing tables. 

CBS 11 asked: If that guy could've seen into the future and seen this guy, he would've said what? His answer: "First of all, I would have said, I can do it. I've always had a lot of belief in my abilities. I would've told you, I could do that. Now, how we got there might've been a different story."

Guevara initially wanted to be a doctor, because he wanted to help people. Once he found out he could do that in the service industry, that's where he turned his attention - specifically in helping his people. 

79% of the employees in the company are Hispanic and/or Latino. Guevara promises "I really want to give everyone an opportunity. To me, I want to see a really diverse workforce. The Latino piece is very important to who we are culturally. But, to me, it's providing that to anyone who wants to be part of our family".

And when Edgar says family, he means family. One of his major initiatives is the Mi Familia fund. Mi Familia, Spanish for my family, is there to assist employees in their time of need. 

Two who have benefited greatly are Jorge Rodriguez and Jose Mendosa. Rodriguez, a server at the Mi Cocina at The Star in Frisco, is a sophomore at the University of Texas at Dallas. The Mi Familia fund has helped him make ends meet with college expenses. 

Rodriguez admits "college isn't cheap. And it keeps getting more expensive. Just for them to implement to a grant where you don't have to write an essay, you don't have to win a raffle, submit an application. If you show that you've paid for classes. And you're passing your classes. We're gonna help you out."

Mendosa is a server at the Mi Cocina on Preston Road and Forest Lane. Earlier this year, his apartment complex caught fire and displaced him and his family. It was the Mi Familia fund that provided him money to help him get back on his feet.

Mendosa explains "I told all the managers what happened to me. They said, Jose don't worry. I will help you. All the guys helped me alot."

One of the major ways money is raised for the fund, is thru the Mambo Miles race. It has become an annual staple and gets bigger each July. 

Guevara was proud to say "we had roughly 2,100 people at Klyde Warren Park at 8 o'clock in the morning to run the 5K. The love I felt from the community, and the support they gave our employees, was heart warming."

What's heartwarming is the culture Guevara has created at one of the most popular restaurant chains in North Texas. 

Here's the advice, the former bus boy from El Paso, has for others who dare to dream big: "Don't give up. There may be some challenges that come your way. Look at them head on, and know you'll overcome them."

Edgar is certainly proof of that. Mi Cocina is set to have two more locations by next year, one at Craig Ranch in McKinney, home of the AT&T Byron Nelson, set to be completed by next summer. The other restaurant will be located in Houston and should be completed by the end of next year. 

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