Texas Border Business
For Hector Javier Rios, graduating from the International Culinary Institute (ICI) SUGAR helped him become the successful business owner he is today. At 32, he owns a locally popular establishment serving a variety of foods, snacks and drinks. A forward thinker, he is already working to establish a second location, and is also working on a third food business venture.
Originally from Edinburg, Hector moved to Lubbock to live with his mother Dina Olivares where she would cater for different events. This is how Hector first learned how to cook. “The food was mainly Tex-Mex,” he remembers. He later moved to Reynosa to live with his father Javier Rios and stepmother Carmen Rios. His stepmother sold food plates and he helped her prepare and deliver them. “She was the one who made me interested in cooking and sales. Thanks to her I discovered I love preparing food. I learned a lot from her; she was the one who encouraged me to keep cooking.”
Years later someone told him about ICI, so he made plans to enroll as soon as he was able. When he finally had the opportunity to enroll, he did not hesitate. “I fell in love with the school the moment I entered the campus,” he said.
ICI is the only nationally recognized school in the Rio Grande Valley dedicated exclusively to culinary arts training and education. The school’s one-year certificate program provides over 380 hours of hands-on kitchen training as well as lecture and theory courses in restaurant management, service operations, and food safety.
Soon after enrolling in ICI he became determined to start his own business. Along with a variety of cooking and baking classes, Hector enrolled in restaurant management class and a service and operations class. Here, he says, he learned to start, manage and operate his business. He opened his first business, On Point Meals, during his first semester at ICI. Chef Mariano, one of his instructors, played a key role in teaching him recipes and an assortment of cooking techniques.
“He likes cooking and is truly committed. Hector can also be really competitive,” says Chef Mariano. A competitive streak, Chef says, is a great motivator for eager business starters and entrepreneurs.
Hector graduated from ICI in 2017 and decided to sell On Point Meals to start his current business: Nakolandia. He says that thanks to the classes he took at ICI he has the knowledge and skills to better manage and operate the new business.
Hector says he is expanding his business by opening a second location, and he is also working on a food truck concept. He also recently decided to return to ICI for more training. “I want to continue learning, and ICI has already helped me to become successful. They provide all the tools necessary, and the instructors are passionate about teaching.”
He encourages others who like cooking and who are eager to run their own business to enroll in the International Culinary Institute SUGAR. “I like the school so much that I invited my friends. Three are already enrolled.”
 SUGAR helped him become the successful business owner he is today. At 32, he owns a locally popular establishment serving a variety of foods, snacks and drinks.){kind=link}