Meet Luis Quiroz | Owner & Operator of Vida Agave
We had the good fortune of connecting with Luis Quiroz and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Luis, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I was 15 years old, I entered the Restaurant Industry working as a dishwasher in a Salvadorian restaurant located in Southwest Houston since then I dreamed of opening my own restaurant in the future. My plan was simple, start from the bottom and learn every aspect and position of the business. I worked in almost every position available such as dishwasher, cook, busser, hostess, server and bartender. I completely fell in love with the industry. I decided to go to university for a business degree so I can learn how to manage a business correctly. After finishing university back in San Luis Potosi Mexico, I worked in a business plan for at least one year.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Vida Agave is a modern Mexican Restaurant & Bar full of flavors, colors and culture. We have the largest tequila and mezcal selection on Galveston Island and we are taking the margarita to the next level. We use fresh lime juice, outstanding tequila and flavorful orange liquor in our signature margaritas. Along with tasty Mexican dishes.
The whole concept of Vida Agave is based on the Agave plant, we are giving Vida (Life) to the Agave plant. From this rich plant you get tequila and mezcal.
Vida Agave is the place where you are going to escape from the ordinary, relax and socialize on the island. We will treat you like family.
Opening my own restaurant back in 2022 wasn’t easy at all, is not that simple as it looks. Getting the financial resources was my first challenge, opening a restaurant is not cheap, I worked many years as server to save approximately $175,000. It takes a lot of discipline to achieve this as well as lot of sacrifices. I had to sacrifice friends, parties, family reunions, traveling, etc. But at the end everything is worth it.
My second biggest challenge was getting all the permits needed to open a restaurant such as the building permit, liquor license, health department approval and fire Marshall permit. That was one of the most stressful processes that I have been in.
I have learned many valuable lessons in my journey. One of them is that first impression matters a lot. I made the mistake of rushing my grand opening because I needed money to pay my rent. When we first open, we didn’t have any systems in place, and it was a chaos and I know the first impression for our guests wasn’t the best. But I am very pleased with my team, because we are constantly learning from our mistakes, fixing them and growing together.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend from middle school came to the island 3 months ago and these where the places where I took him, hopefully it can help you decide where to visit when you come to this beautiful island.
For Breakfast or Brunch:
Bronco Burritos
The Sunflower Cafe
For Dinner:
Vida Agave (Mexican)
Boulevard Seafood (Seafood)
Jimmy’s on the Pier (American)
The Spot (American)
Mamas Teresa’s flying Pizza (Pizza)
Seawall Cuisine (Sushi)
The Garden (Thai)
For a drink:
Vida Agave
Marmo
DTO
San Luis Resort Pool Bar
Galveston Island Brewery
Attractions:
Schitterbahn
Pleasure Pier
Moody Gardens
Activities:
Vida Agave Salsa Night every Sunday
Vida Agave Dj Latin Night every Saturday
Galveston beach
Carriage Haus Rentals
Galveston Slingshot Rentals
Seawall bicycle Rentals
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my grandparents Ofelia y Antonio.
I consider my grandparents Ofelia and Antonio my mentors. When I was 9 years old, I started helping them sell in our local flea market where I developed sales skills back in Matehuala San Luis Potosi, Mexico. They always taught me to never give up and always chase my dreams.
Website: https://www.vidaagave.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vidaagave/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083370367529
Image Credits
Picture credits: Omar Marines Brittany Gutierrez
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