Today we’d like to introduce you to Luis Rivera Rodriguez
Hi Luis, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Venezuela but raised on the south side of Chicago, and my journey of serving the community started from my dad being a Pastor of a church in the city. I was always involved in community work and outreach and up until recently I was the central Illinois regional Director for a NonForProfit named Illinois Migrant Council, where I focused on bringing access to care and services to rural and migrant communities. With my government background I always enjoyed cooking for myself and during the covid years under the tutelage of my brother Efrain, I started getting into the art of smoking. We were all stuck at home for extended periods of time and I figured this was a great time to learn how to do a brisket. At the same time I considered myself a bootleg Bourdain, because of my current job at the time with my good friend Mario, I had to travel all over the US and visit food processing plants and different companies. I took advantage of that opportunity and visited local mom & pop bbq spots and learn the taste of bbq across america. From Idaho, to Texas all the way to NYC, I learned how each part of the country has their own rendition and started to find my path.
I knew at that moment what I wanted to create was a unique yet classic rendition to bbq. We all know theres great bbq out there but in a market that has exploded I wanted to put myself on a plate. While I am a first generation immigrant, I always felt like a man with no land, to Venezuelans because I was raised here, I was called a “gringo” but to Americans I was an immigrant. Yet in the neighborhoods of Chicago where I grew up the majority were Puerto Ricans, and I didnt belong to them. And later on to the suburbs of Cicero which was predominantly Mexican, I stood out.
So I wanted to create a style of cooking that represents not only me but many first gen immigrants, a melting pot of flavors, that is bold, colorful, unique, with hints of tradition of many cultures. Essentially what America really stands for.
Of course this was all a hobby for me and I had the steady direct deposit of my Gov Job. Then I went through a low point in life like many of us do sometimes and questioned, is this 9-5 all there is to it? shortly after my birthday while I had many material accomplishments, I didnt feel fulfilled. But when I was always happy was when I was feeding people. I remember I prayed until tears came, and asked God is this it for me? Just keep going till I can retire? (which btw in Illinois due to my Pension system was a young age of 52) then the answer came. But before that the Journey of Netflix was unique on its own.
A casting recruiter reached out to my Instagram at the beginning of 2023, and I thought it was spam, like much happens these days, asking for brand ambassadors etc. I Ignored it. Then shortly after that they wrote again and even offered their phone number which was odd. After googling, and research I noticed he was the real deal.
I spoke with him and it was invitation to apply for this show, mind you I had never watched the show before and in the BBQ world I am a nobody. My page had maybe 5-700 followers all from family and friends. And while I primarily posted food it was just for enjoyment and letting people know you can do this too at home.
Well I got together with some friends and we made a casting video and I had fun with it. I submitted and waited. Months passed by and I lost all faith in that and carried on. Then suddenly in the summer I was told I was selected to move on, and a series of interviews began. Some that consisted cooking on camera, interviews with producers, and knowledge panels. I thought man this is serious. And they kept moving me on. From 27,000+ applicants suddenly this kid from no land made it pretty damn far. I was told I made the final count and I was like wow this is cool, I already felt like a winner.
Then it went quiet. A month or so passed and didnt hear back. I assumed I was eliminated but I was ok with that. Because I made it so far, being a nobody.
Then that episode of emotions I previously talked about happened and I prayed. A week later? I got an email I was being flown out to GA for filming. What happened there was even crazier. Fast forward? I quit my job, gambled on myself, and moved to Texas to partner up with Outfit Brewery and started my new life here. I left stability, and those nice direct deposits for uncertainty but happiness behind a pit.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth Road? Absolutely not. I was a Gov worker with no real experiences working in a commercial setting. My dream was to feed people and have fun doing it. My fear was like many restaurants that start chasing profits over passion, they lose quality. I dont want that.
Outfit Brewery is a small establishment in a saturated market, they never had food before and this was new to them too. So learning the rules, and hurdles is new for both of us. Getting people in the door is even harder. In the state of the economy its hard to convince people they deserve a craft beer. Which is why I tailored my menu to not only give you quality food, but at a affordable price. I dont want to get rich, I still want to feed people and as many people as I can. And while the road is strenuous and I have a lot to learn, Im still going to keep chasing that dream that you dont need a second mortgage to have great food.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I created a new food subgroup in traditional Texas bbq. I grabbed Venezuelan culture with hints of Mexican flavors and Puerto Rican Sazon and dubbed it Latin BBQ. The BBQ world is large and so many variations to it, I wanted to bring something to the table that I know people may not understand but will enjoy. We may all come from different backgrounds and cultures but one thing we all understand is, we like to eat. And we like good good.
My bbq has Venezuelan origins, with flavors from across Latin America but true to Texas style. Much like me, Venezuelan origins with influences from other Latin American countries but from the US that is now my home.
How do you think about happiness?
Feeding People.
I love being able to connect with people with food, we all can be raised differently, and be from different cultures but I noticed that we can all sit at table and break bread. And while we do that, conversations naturally form and its a great way to get to know each other without it being so awkward. In a perfect world, I’d be able to feed everyone for free and just have some major corp write it off. But until that happens, I will do my best to keep feeding those that I can.
Pricing:
- Papi’s Arepas start at $6
- Papi’s Bowls start at $10
- Papi’s Nachos start at $10
- Jr Sandwich starts at $6
Contact Info:
- Website: https://outfitbrewing.com
- Instagram: TheMeatPapi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559613131751
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbperRq7cJok05VsSDs2c2g
Image Credits
All photos done by me
