Growing up on Long Island, Latest York, 44-year-old Dan Defossey all the time thought he would go into politics.
And although Defossey began his profession in politics, he eventually became a teacher and a member of the Teach For America Corps in Texas before getting a job as an educator at Apple in Latest York.
He held the position for just over three years before being promoted to head of selling for education in Latin America in 2009. Defossey moved to Mexico City.
In 2013, Defossey and his friend and Mexico City resident Roberto Luna were walking around the town when he turned to Luna and said that they need to do something else with their lives. Despite having no experience in running a restaurant, the 2 decided it is perhaps a superb idea to open one.
“We had no idea how to run a restaurant and were mainly learning on the fly,” said Defossey.
Defossey and Luna opened the primary Pinche Gringo restaurant in Airstream in 2013.
Tasia Jensen and Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo / CNBC Do it
In 2013, Defossey and Luna purchased Airstream in Texas and flew it back to Mexico City. In it, they opened their first Texas-style BBQ restaurant.
“I knew we might give it our all because we thought we had something special. There have been no grill restaurants on the town; we’re so close to the USA. Mexicans love meat,” Defossey tells CNBC Make It.
“There was an ideal opportunity to open up a recent food category … And when you’ve gotten that window to have the option to do something like this, you’ve gotten to make the most of it.”
The couple decided to name the restaurant Pinche Gringo, which suggests “rattling American” and makes fun of the concept of them opening a barbecue restaurant in Mexico City.
“It gave us some humility, which I feel broke down the wall and allowed our Mexican clients to be more open to something that was very unique and different,” Defossey said.
The Pinche Gringo BBQ warehouse is the most important location and might accommodate up to 3,000 people.
Tasia Jensen and Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo / CNBC Do it
At first, Defossey and Luna spent hours handing out samples of the brisket and explaining the meat to the locals.
Defossey tells CNBC Make It that he and Luna initially brought in $30 day and the food didn’t taste good.
“We gave a sample of our food to some dogs within the neighborhood. The dogs didn’t eat it, after which we thought, okay, that is the problem. But we kept practicing,” he said.
Someday a neighborhood reporter got here to try the food and published a positive article about Defossey and Luna’s restaurant. Since then, Pinche Gringo has had a gentle customer base.
Being a Texas-style grill restaurant in Mexico City is not the only thing that sets Pinche Gringo apart. Additionally they have not adapted anything to the situation, which suggests they do not offer any traditional Mexican ingredients on the menu.
“I haven’t got tortillas. I haven’t got agua Jamaica, agua horchata. I haven’t got chilis toreado. And probably the most sacrilegious thing is that I haven’t got limes, and Mexicans love limes on things,” says DeFoseey.
“But why? Because I wanted to offer something unique, unlike anything anyone had ever seen.”
Groupo Chilango Gringo currently employs 105 people.
Tasia Jensen and Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo / CNBC Do it
Defossey and Luna opened this primary Airstream restaurant in 2013, but have since expanded into what’s now often called Groupo Chilango Gringo. The group owns and operates seven restaurants, including sandwich shops, a bar and a Pinche Gringo BBQ warehouse. It’s the most important location and might accommodate up to 3,000 people at a time.
According to tax documents reviewed by CNBC Make It, Groupo Chilango Gringo had revenues of $159,121 in 2022 and sales of over $9 million.
The restaurant group employs 105 people and sells 15-20 tons of meat monthly
“We actually opened this restaurant to share an authentic a part of our culture with Mexicans so we could bring the 2 countries closer,” says Defossey.
“That is the ability of sharing my beautiful American culture with Mexico. And that is how I can repay the country that has embraced me a lot.”
Defossey and Luna’s restaurants together sell 15-20 tons of meat a month.
Tasia Jensen and Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo / CNBC Do it
Currently, Defossey’s goal for the Groupo Chilango Gringo brand is to further develop, while maintaining a positive and friendly culture among the many staff.
“I even have all the time believed that the soul of our restaurant is our people. I enjoy going to work each day. I like my people. I like restaurants. I like being here. And I live that dream,” says Defossey.
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