The kitchen is hot, customers are lining up, and Connie Chavirra is ready to serve. “You want jalapenos with that, mama?” she asks a customer, handing over a heaping plate of taquitos with slices of avocado, grilled onions and two lime slices on the side. Her husband, Gonzalo Martinez, is flipping over hamburger and hot dog buns on the grill, with a fajita quesadilla ready to go. The couple and…
Building a business from scratch is enough of a challenge, and as Mike Barrera can attest, coming back from a tragedy will test you anew. Barrera was three years into establishing a successful restaurant business in Weslaco – Ranch House Burgers – when a fire struck in 2014 as he was making plans to get his second restaurant open in Mission. All that Barrera had built in Weslaco was gone…
The grocery and restaurant meals delivery business has certainly grown to be hectic and ultra-competitive. In 2016, Ranvu was the first in the Rio Grande Valley to offer the delivery of groceries. Chief operating officer Dorance Cuba worked for months to develop a well-designed app high on functionality. He also made sure the app was easy for customers to use and maneuver. As a result of Ranvu’s early successes in 2016,…
Straight out of college and Daniel Silva was job hunting after earning a degree in computer information systems from then-University of Texas-Pan American. His job search then led to the Mission Economic Development Corporation at their former home at the Texas Sweet Building. He started as a project manager, a job that had little to nothing to do with computers. Then in late November 2018, after a 14-year climb, Sliva…
The Weslaco Economic Development Corporation recently filled a vacancy on its board during a time when the city is experiencing robust growth and planning for additional development. Juan Jose Serrano was recently appointed by the City Commission. He fills the vacancy left as a result of the passing of businessman Rudy Cisneros. In his facility leader position as the H-E-B Retail Support Center in Weslaco, Serrano oversees 250 employees. The…
The City of Mission is at an elite level of American cities in becoming a finalist for the 2019 All-America City Award. Mission is one of 20 finalists which include cities from all parts of the United States. In addition, it is one of only five Texas cities in the running for the 10 winners to be chosen in June. Neighboring Edinburg, along with Houston, San Antonio and El Paso…
Fresh out of college at 23 years of age, David Hernandez saw an opportunity and then seized it. With $30,000 in hand from his relatives, Hernandez used it as seed money to open the first of what would become 12 Pop-A-Top stores in the Rio Grande Valley. The yellow stores with blue trim became ubiquitous across the region. “Coldest Beer In Town” was the Pop-A-Top signature line and Hernandez meant…
In the spring of 2018, Sophiah Rodriguez was worried about her health. She was in search of something that could change the way she felt. “My health was not where I wanted it to be,” said the Harlingen native, born-and-raised. She then settled on trying a ketogenic diet, which seeks to dramatically lower carbohydrates by eliminating grains, rice, beans, potatoes, sweets, milk and fruit. The keto diet lowers insulin levels…
The Humane Society of Harlingen is looking forward to its annual Wine & Whiskers event – and this year’s event will hold special meaning. The March 30 fundraiser will honor the Humane Society’s founders – Marilyn White, Susan McCarthy, Laverne Hill and Dr. Marguerite DeWitt. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the TSTC Cultural Arts Center. It’s a sellout, a credit, in part, to the flurry of activity…
The “Battle Born, Texas Made” beers of the 5X5 Brewery Co. of Mission are now across South Texas with a variety of tastes from the Irish red to honey brown ale. In less than a year of operation, 5X5 has moved quickly in reaching 85 South Texas restaurants and bars. Their reach stretches from Rio Grande City to South Padre Island and north to Kingsville. The key, said Sean Downey,…