AUSTIN, Texas — The crunch of a taco, the warmth of an enchilada – who doesn’t like Mexican food? There's an old Spanish saying that goes, “el amor entra por el estomago,” or "love enters through the stomach." And in this story, it’s a love of food and family that’s brought one Austin business much success.
Shopping at the grocery store often involves looking at the nutritional labels on the back. But when you flip over products from Siete Family Foods, you'll come across a family photo.
“We chose the name Siete there because there are seven members in my family, and this business really did start because my whole family sort of came together and helped me get through some of these problems,” Siete Co-founder Veronica Garza said.
The problems Garza is referring to are health-related. As a teenager, she was diagnosed with several autoimmune conditions.
“The one that people would probably be most familiar with is lupus,” she said.
So she took action. At her brother's insistence, she began to change up her diet and got creative in the kitchen.
“I started using almond flour and different grain free flours to try to recreate things that would allow me to eat the food that I would normally eat,” Garza said.
The next thing she knew, her entire family from Laredo, Texas, joined her on her mission to better health.
Through trial and error, Garza ended up creating a grain-free version of a Mexican staple: a tortilla made with almond flour.
“I wanted to eat tacos on something other than a piece of lettuce. I want to make enchiladas. I want to, you know, be able to enjoy all of these foods," she said.
PHOTOS: Siete Family Foods
She recruited her mom and spent countless afternoons hand-pressing tortillas in the kitchen. Finally, she was ready to test them out.
“I made a batch of tortillas. I drove up by 35 from Laredo to Austin, and we took them to one small co-op in town called Wheatsville. And we actually had a meeting on the grocery floor, like, very informal,” Garza said.
They were a hit. By 2014, Siete Family Foods became a full-fledged business – one that has since turned into the fastest-growing Mexican-American food brand in the nation.
“We are currently at about 80 products. So we make sweets like cookies, and we have some pantry staples like beans and crispy taco shells, potato chips, botana sauces, salsas," Garza said. "It’s really important for us that people are able to eat and enjoy Mexican-American food without feeling like they're compromising."
That dedication to health and taste caught the attention of some familiar faces at the Golden Globes. Ryan Seacrest and Gwyneth Paltrow raved about the brand live on the red carpet.
“But I'm equally excited when I go to the grocery store and I see someone like, putting our products in their basket. I just have this moment where I’m like … 'Should I say something?'” she joked.
And while Garza is certainly happy about Siete's success, it's not the be all, end all. She wants to help those who are in the same position she once was.
“Especially other Latinos who aspire to start businesses, we want to be an example for them that they can get there, too. Because I really do believe that when one of us rises, we're all rising together,” she said.
In 2020, Siete launched the Siete Juntos Fund, or “Together Fund,” which grants $200,000 to Latino businesses owners looking to grow or start their companies. The fund has committed to $2 million in funding over the next five years.
Two weeks ago, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation honored Siete with the Hispanic Heritage Entrepreneurship Award. Below is a photo they took at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The program will broadcast nationally on Friday, Sept. 29, on PBS.
