Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabriel DeLeon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gabriel , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
My passion stems from watching my father excel in the kitchen. l began working with my father, Juan DeLeon, at the age of sixteen at my father’s first restaurant La Parilla in Red Oak, Texas. Two years later, my dad opened La Margarita in Irving, Texas, where I learned how to operate a restaurant day-to-day. I don’t really believe in hypotheticals, but I believe that if I would’ve sped up the process then I would’ve missed out on the opportunity with the Hartnett group and I wouldn’t appreciate the lessons I learned today. The skill I think is most essential is the ability to connect with your guests – it is critical to be able to communicate with others and then build upon that relationship. I also enjoy traveling. I love to use it as a way to gain a deeper understanding of flavors by visiting and working with top restaurants and chefs. The obstacle that stood in the way of me learning more is time. There is not enough time in the day to master all the unique culinary techniques and styles or travel the world.
Gabriel , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
was born and raised in Irving, TX by two hard-working entrepreneur parents. My father was always in the restaurant business and my mother owned her own salon. When I started working with my father, he was the cook in our family and that is where my passion for food came from. I remember that my father was always ahead of his time. For example, he was serving fish tacos and regional Mexican food in the early 90’s at his restaurant La Margarita before many of the modern Tex Mex restaurants that are now ubiquitous in DFW. You can definitely say my father was my role model, hero, motivation – you name it. When he passed away at the age of 55, I stepped into his shoes to keep our family restaurant going. My brother now proudly continues our traditions. I met Steve Hartnett in 2010 and soon after got introduced to Martin Meir, the VP of Hartnett Commercial. We now operate 3 Mi Día From Scratch restaurants, in addition to offering catering across the DFW metro area. We bring personalized food, always made from scratch, to you and your family. Our team sets us apart, they are our greatness commodity.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 2009, we closed a restaurant in Addison. It was disappointing and I promised myself I would never open another restaurant ever again. Eight months later, I was still licking my wounds, but I ended up receiving a phone call that changed my life! Someone believed in what I was doing and wanted to partner with me to help his vision come to life. I owe my resilience to my father, Steve Hartnett, my mentor and personal coach, Patricia Quintana, Martin Meir, and many more. I’ve learned a lot through traveling, cooking, eating, and observing the best chefs in the world.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
What fills my heart is hearing that our guests have genuinely enjoyed being at Mi Dia From Scratch. From our friendly staff to the menu, to our seemingly endless margarita options – it will always bring me joy to have the restaurants be lively with love. It calls me back to I also really enjoy hearing the feedback and watching guests take photos of their food to share on social media! That was not around when I was younger, so it has been a blast to witness this!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://midiafromscratch.com/
- Instagram: @MiDiaFromScratch