Today we’d like to introduce you to Vito Garcia.
Hi Vito, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started smoking BBQ in my backyard just for family friends, and parties. The more I did it people were saying how good the food was, but we all know sometimes people just say that to make you feel good, and it worked I felt good.
Soon after friends were asking me to smoke and grill BBQ for events and fundraisers but as you all know smoking BBQ is a long process and you go on very little sleep. The food would always go fast, and the more events we did the more people were showing up.
One day someone said to me that I need to start charging and making money because it was a lot of work.
In 2019, Vito’s Chill & Grill LLC was born, and we started catering BBQ. With our wide variety of food, we started helping people with their events.
We now do so many different types of events from small events to large events going into a couple of thousand people. I have put together an excellent team behind me and teaching others to become Pitmasters that will work for VCG.
I am also part of a tailgating group called Nuffsaid tailgaters where I prepare all the food and sometimes, we feed up to 300 guests at the tailgate for the Houston Texans games. We recently did a show with Chef Emeril Lagasse which was featured on Roku channel Emeril’s Tailgates.
I guess what we are doing at VCG is good because today we have 5-star reviews across multiple platforms.
We thank God for what he is doing in our lives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s not easy, especially with a full-time job to work catering scheduling people, and preparing food for events but we get it done. My wife has been my biggest cheerleader and asset to the company. She is a flight attendant and when not working she is in the kitchen cooking and helping in any way she can.
The struggles are trying to find financing for what your vision is and everything we make goes right back into the business other than paying all the bills. We now have a great relationship with our bank Stellar Bank and David Corpus has been great to work with.
Also, getting your name out there is hard because you are competing against some of the best BBQ joints in town.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Account Manager with a global safety company name RelyOn Nutec. We offer way more than just safety. We also provide drilling, emergency response, and crises management training for the offshore, maritime, and wind industries. We serve customers worldwide!
I have been with RelyOn since 2012, and it is a wonderful to work with. I specialize in providing customers with training, adaptive learning, consultancy, digital training, and much more.
What I am most proud of is have the gift to be able to have a good relationship with people and make friends not only from work, but those relationships carry over into our personal lives away from work.
I have great colleagues, and we have great leadership that helps me succeed.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My advice to anyone looking for mentorship is to network anywhere and everywhere. Speak to people about what you want and where you are going so, they can advise you on how to achieve your dreams.
I have been lucky to have great people and friends that are mentors to me that I ask for advice from for Example Tom Flynn & Laurette Veres are two people I turn to the most for advice.
Remember always ask because no one knows what you want, except you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vitoschillandgrill.com
- Instagram: @vitoschillandgrill
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitoschillandgrill
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vito-s-chill-grill-catering
- Twitter: @vitochillngrill
- Youtube: @vitoschillngrill
Image Credits
Vito Garcia
