We have been invited to participate in Austin, TX 60th Annual "Trail of Lights". This festival has been becoming more grand by the year, and this one is gonna be stellar....with your help of course.
This opportunity would help give us a chance to scale-up our business so we would be able to create and offer new jobs, allow us to renew this event contract next year and also begin our journey into brick and mortar. We've been keeping our ear to the ground, our chins high, chests out and also have been supporting other local businesses in need as well. Our aim is to help create more business to be able to create wealth for those who join our team. I want to be able to offer better pay, atmosphere and opportunity to people. I want to be able to create a space with a new restaurant culture, that's built on love and respect of others. I want to create food that's made with positive energy and love that does more than fills the belly...it renews your soul too.
Conceived in love and born during a hurricane, Chef Bryan "CHoPS!" Soliz is son to an US Army veteran (Johnny Soliz) and a Math Teacher (Sandra Soliz). Texas born and raised with a smokey profile and spice on life, clearly from his Hispanic background...clearly.
Bryan grew up in Pearland, TX just outside the greater Houston metroplex. Went to school within Alvin school district alongside his older brother Dominick. Both his parents were athletes and encouraged both sons to pursue sports as well. His mother,being a teacher, wanted for a well-rounded education and pushed her boys towards the arts as well. From band, where he loved to play the sax, dancing, choir and painting both brothers had a chance to find their passions within.
Bryan loved being apart of every group and relished the spotlight and was usually in the center of attention. No matter if it was home or school he was talking somewhere...haha.
Even as child he had a curiosity about food. He hunger, it seemed, never was able to be fulfilled. Simple snacks like chips and cookies weren't enough to satisfy his hunger pangs. As luck would have it he was surrounded by a family of amazing home cooks that had years of experience preparing for big families and even bigger social gatherings. Lessons in BBQ to grilling, passed down by his father by his grandfather to Mexican style cuisine from my grandmother(s) and his mother's homestyle food. Finding his own rhythm and style by mixing and matching flavors and finally even attending culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin to hone and create his style of cuisine, which he has called Texican. This food style is based on the melting pot of culture that resides within Houston, TX. So elements of Texas BBQ, Mexican fare, French, Creole, Cajun, Pan-Asian and a little German. He became known for his Gourmet Texican Tamales and would even be seen competing on television on the Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race: season 9. Talk about 15 minutes of fame... no I mean he can talk...haha.
Since 2019 and the COVID epidemic we lost our strong push and forward momentum. We have struggled to get back the level of business we had, as we were about to make the jump into food truck, Just prior to the epidemic. We held back fearing we would lose our investment and little did we know there would be an outcry for food trucks to serve neighborhoods since no one was going anywhere. We gambled and lost that bet, but we never gave up or lost hope.
Instead, Bryan "CHoPS!", had the bright idea of creating a vendor market space where local artisans could gather and sell their wares outside and people could buy art, food, desserts. He even invited his musician friend, Adam Heiman, to come play music as entertainment. People around the area started to hear about this market and little by little the group got a little business. Well, after the word got out, a friend in town, who owned a brewery/Taproom (Bakfish/Kris) was trying to get business back asked to join forces. Chef Bryan took it upon himself to start a slower day and start to bring attention to it by offering his Texican Tastes, which he did a rotating menu, and have live music with Adam and now adding a drummer Matt Komlofske and later a bassist/sound engineer Jeremy Mallatt who added power to the once acoustic set. Thursday nights at Bakfish in Pearland were a hit and did well for awhile.
As much as Kris Szecsy, owner of Bakfish, tried to boost sales and grow his demographic, it wouldn't be enough to save him from the inevitable. He closed his doors after the holidays of 2022 to the shouts and surrounded by his friends and community. Chef CHoPS! was there to the end slinging Tamales and tacos alike.
It was hard watching a friend work hard to save his business, Kris sacrificed a lot so his employees were paid and wanted so hard for his sales to climb and stabilize. But oh, that pandemic...hurt us all. CHoPS! still upset, had now been needing another place to vend and show off his skills.
At one point Chef Bryan was offered a job at a location on the Strand in Galveston to help develop a new Bistro/Market idea. After a few months of collaboration with the owner, Charles L., it was decided they go separate directions and so CHoPS! was now back on his own looking for another adventure.
Contemplating a change in career, he took to the internet in search of the next great job and future lifestyle....
In the meantime, Saloon Door, a local brewery out of Webster, had the bright idea of buying up old Bakfish and converting into a sister Taproom to its brewery. CHoPS! quickly made an acquaintance with the new management by bringing some samples of his ever delicious Texican Tamales and instantly won over the new managers. His return to Thursday nights was imminent. This helped people familiar with CHoPS! food to come check out the new beer at Saloon Door "West" and visa versa when people who enjoyed the original location could now experience CHoPS! food.
From The Houston Tamale Fest, where he has won several BEST Tamales over the years, to St. Arnold's One Pot Contest, to Pearlands award-winning Vallensons Brewery, Rob Ray's Taproom, Spindletap Brewery, Taco Fest, Farmer's markets and other street festivals and most recently Cheers Pub in Friendswood, Chef CHoPS! continues to wow his guests with his creative takes on your favorite staple meals. He always says a lot of the things he like to make are new versions of stuff he hated as a kid. Take that bad memories...you know those ones you can actually remember the taste...yuck.
With your help, we can take this once in a lifetime opportunity and prove how ready for the next level we are. So, YES, we are looking for monetary assistance, but also watch and sharing our social media helps, spreading the word about or business helps, write reviews online helps and also continuing to enjoy our food when available definitely helps.
Spread the word and We will keep rolling the Tamales.
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