OUR STORY
Originating from the small town of Jesus Maria, about 2 hours east of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, in the midst of winter time, January 1999, Gerardo Aguirre and Ana Gloria Fernandez made the decision to come to the U.S.A. and begin their lives together as a married couple and soon to be family. They migrated into the State of Texas with the same fears and insecurities most endure when change is eminent. Young and full of dreams, Gerardo and Ana Gloria were determined to succeed. Never really planning to remain in the USA, their growing family and thriving business shifted their future and New Braunfels became their home town and place of birth for all 4 of their children.
With a take-action attitude. Gerardo and Ana Gloria joined forces with a brother and in June 1999, established their first location; Taqueria Guadalajara Restaurant in New Braunfels, TX. If you walked into their restaurant you would most definitely remember this vivacious 5-1’ woman, very much pregnant, smiling and always serving customers with much grace and attentiveness. They labored hard and long hours, side by side, until their 1st child, Edgar Aguirre was born in December 2000. Ana Gloria states “It was a privilege to serve our customers and I was honored to do so every time”. Business continued to flourish and the brother decided to concede his shares to Gerardo and Ana Gloria. With a little baby in arms, excitement in their heart and much gratitude, Gerardo and Ana Gloria became sole-owners in a very short period of time. Motivated by their growth, they worked more arduously.
In 2003, they are blessed by the birth of their 2nd son, Gerardo Ivan Aguirre. With Edgar at 3 years of age and a new born, Gerardo and Ana Gloria depended on the support of family to help them with their growing family as long days continued. In 2006, an opportunity was presented for them to acquire a local Pizza Hut which they soon converted into what today is “El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant” located in the heart of New Braunfels. “We expanded and were proud to carry on our style of food to another location”. Driven by our desire to excel and succeed now they looked towards creating a legacy for their growing family.
Driven by our desire to excel and succeed now they looked towards creating a legacy for their growing family. During a period from 2007-2012, they explored the restaurateur industry exponentially. Approximately 8 additional locations were opened and closed through-out the State of Texas. Ana Gloria described this period of time with “Failure is growth because you learn from it, you learn to believe in yourself”, she goes on to explain “Fear holds many people back from pursuing their dreams but you will never know or have what you truly desire if you allow fear to hold you back”. Entrepreneurs at heart, Gerardo and Ana Gloria continued to explore, succeed, fail, get back up and try again. This led them into their next venture which took them into a different scope of business where they were challenged by a new learning curve.
In 2013, Guadalajara Meat Market was established. Acknowledging that there was a growing Hispanic market in New Braunfels and locations to find authentic Mexican products were scarce, they identified an opportunity and took action. Gerardo and Ana Gloria fearlessly went from restaurant management to placing bar codes, setting up scanners and registers. Today, you can visit their Market and find fresh cuts of meat, spices and authentic Mexican pan dulce to quench your sweet tooth.
Just a few years down the road, 2 restaurants, 1 market and 2 sons later, Ana Gloria’s prayers are answered with the birth of their 1st daughter Anagitselle Aguirre in 2012. When Gerardo and Ana Gloria married, they had dreamt of having 4 little ones. Time passed and with much work at hand it seemed a distant desire that was now becoming a reality. Upon the celebration of Anagitselle’s 1st birthday, Ana Gloria is then surprised with the coming of their 2nd daughter’s birth, Alondra Aguirre in 2014. Gerardo’s and Ana Gloria’s vision for the life they wanted to build had come to fruition in its entirety.
With a sense of fulfillment, Gerardo and Ana Gloria continued their endeavors. Always maintaining an open mind for opportunities of growth and expansion. In January 2021, opportunity knocked again and “Hacienda Tapatio Mexican Restaurant” also located in the scenic City of New Braunfels, opened its doors to customers.
Today, you can visit them at any of their locations and you are sure to find one of them behind the counter, greeting at the door, and serving their savory dishes with the same sense of “privilege to do so” as they did back in 1999. What lies ahead you may ask? They are breaking ground for another Guadalajara Market and this time they are building it from the bottom up.