Heather McKeon

NEW Logo Reveal

Heather McKeon — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:00:39 +0000

Gringo’s Announces and Reveals New Logo

(La Porte, Texas) May 25, 2022 – Houston-based Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen known for their community involvement, high-quality Tex-Mex, and recognized by the iconic Las Vegas-style sign, unveiled its refreshed company logo today.

The new logo has recognizable features such as its similar shape, signature light bulbs, and iconic star, but with a more enhanced modern look and feel. “We think it’s confusingly similar, in the most positive way!” said Chief Marketing Officer, Heather McKeon. The new look allows the brand to finally trademark their identity and avoid other brands using the same, most replicated “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. The timing was strategic in coordination with a new store opening, in a new market, College Station, planned for July 2022; while also preparing for the company’s 30-year anniversary in January 2023.

Russell Ybarra opened the “The Original” Gringo’s in Pearland in 1993. The logo, at the time, was hand-drawn and painted on the side of the building. Over the years, Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen has gone through several different logos, its most recognized logo being that of the Vegas-style sign. “The Vegas-inspired logo got us through a chapter in our journey, and it was just time for us to move forward from that and create our own identity. We feel this new logo still provides the “wow!” factor of the previous logo that our guests have come to know and love.” said McKeon. “We will continue to have the same guest first mentality, focused on exceptional hospitality while serving the highest quality Tex-Mex at the lowest price possible.”

Gringo’s Marketing Team partnered with Houston-based creative and marketing agency, Norton Creative to create the newly designed company logo. For more information about Norton Creative, visit https://norton-creative.com.

Visit any one of the Gringo’s locations throughout the Houston area, or for more information about Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen, visit https://www.gringostexmex.com.

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Gringo’s Heading to Aggieland

Heather McKeon — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 15:29:16 +0000

Gringo’s Tex-Mex branching out of Houston

Today, March 19, 2021 — Gringo’s Tex-Mex is preparing to break ground on a new location in College Station, Texas. This will be the company’s fifteenth Gringo’s location; however, internal store number 12 was saved in honor of the Aggie’s Home of the 12th Man. Slated to break ground in June and planning for an early Spring opening in 2022.

Gringo’s College Station will be an 8,900-square-foot restaurant that will seat a total of 289 guests at full capacity and is located in the Tower Point development at the 4300 block of Texas 6 Frontage Rd. The restaurant will welcome its guests with a beautiful vaulted ceiling in the entryway, custom murals, a wraparound bar as the main focal point upon entry into the dining area, and surrounded by decor that captures the old West with a modern flair that includes hand-crafted Mexico inspired paintings and art all throughout. Schuster, Inc. will be handling the architecture & design, while Thomas Project Management & Construction will have their second Gringo’s project.

The Team at Gringo’s is excited to venture outside the Houston area. “College Station has been on our radar since 2018 and it’s finally time! With so much growth, I anticipate serving guests who grew up eating Gringo’s and now live in College Station; plus, students studying at Texas A&M who need their hometown Tex-Mex fix.” said Heather McKeon, Chief Marketing Officer of Gringo’s Tex-Mex.

Gringo’s will be serving up their famous Green Sauce, along with guest favorites such as the Pollo Marisco, Burrito con Queso, sizzling Fajitas; along with their full bar menu and The Cadillac Margarita.

For additional information on the new location follow on Facebook @gringoscollegestation, or visit their website at gringostexmex.com for more information. Join the restaurants’ el Club online to receive up-to-date information on all of the exciting news going on at the new location Gringo’s; plus, receive ‘el club’ exclusives.

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Join our Waitlist!

Heather McKeon — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 17:15:00 +0000

So you want to join our Waitlist but don’t know what that entails? Have no fear – we are here to help!

Joining Our Waitlist prior to arriving at your favorite Gringo’s location is the simplest way to get your name on the list and minimize your wait time at the restaurant. You can join in a few easy steps:

Step 1: Visit gringostexmex.com

Step 2: Select “Join Waitlist”

Step 3: Choose your Location

Step 4: Add your information & join!

Step 5: Upon arriving at Gringo’s, you MUST check-in at the host stand to let our team know that you’ve arrived.

We will text when your table is ready & you can enjoy our famous Tex-Mex!

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2020 Scholarships, TMLF

Heather McKeon — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 14:12:08 +0000

We are proud to announce that the Tex-Mex Legacy Foundation has awarded seven scholarships to our Team Members for the upcoming 2020 Fall Semester, totaling $7,000. We are so incredibly honored to have had the means and opportunity to give back to those that work so hard for our guests daily.

Our company’s third core value is “Reinvesting in our Team Members and Local Community,” and this is just one of many ways we strive to live by that value every day. You can get to know a little bit about our seven scholarship recipients below:

Alejandra Angulo- Gringo’s Fuqua

Environmental Studies/Aspiring to be an Environmental Lawyer
May 2024 – Texas A&M.
Fun Fact: “I graduated from South Houston High School.”

Joshua Hill – Gringo’s Spring

I plan on majoring in finance and my career goal is to become a financial advisor.
May 2024 – Texas A&M.
Fun Fact: “I’m really scared of heights, except when I’m skateboarding.”

Henry Tejada – Gringo’s Rosenberg

Human Resource Development – College of Technology
May 2021 – University of Houston
Fun Fact: “I have been working at Gringos since the age of 16! I started as a busser and slowly moved up to a bartender, shift lead, and head wait. I enjoy serving my guests and making them have an amazing dining experience.”

Candace Cummings – Gringo’s “The Original”

BA of Literature with a 7-12 Teaching Certification
Fall 2022- University of Houston Clear Lake
Fun Fact: “I love writing and learning. I watch documentaries constantly. My favorite show is Planet Earth.”

Kelly Wacker – Gringo’s Texas City

San Jacinto College – Associate of Applied Science in Radiography
2022 – San Jacinto College Central Campus, then onto my masters
Fun fact: “I have maintained a 4.0 GPA.”

Devon O’Brien – Jimmy Changas Pasadena

Economics with a minor in mathematics to become an Equity Research Analyst.
Spring 2020- University of Houston
Fun Fact: “I once got on tv for getting hit in the face by a baseball at an Astros game.”

Alexia Hazlett – Gringo’s La Porte

My career goal is to receive an RN license and to continue my education further to become a Nurse Practitioner.
2023 – San Jacinto College
Fun Fact: “I have a YouTube channel with over 100,00 subscribers and a video with over 73 million views for making a music lyric video.”

The Tex-Mex Legacy Foundation was founded by Russell and Monica Ybarra. Russell’s parents, Eugene Ybarra and Alice Ybarra instilled upon him and the entire family the importance of giving back to the community and supporting the community in which you operate. Continuing the legacy of giving back to the community, the Tex-Mex Legacy Foundation was formally created in a quest to take Russell Ybarra’s philanthropic work to the next level. Armed with three principles in mind, the foundation was created to help our veterans and first responders, to provide scholarships to the community, and to provide assistance to families that we serve in times of crisis and emergencies.

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National Margarita Day at Gringo’s!

Heather McKeon — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 14:17:06 +0000

Margaritas are coming! Grab your friends & plan a trip to Gringo’s on Saturday, February 22 to celebrate #NationalMargaritaDay. Enjoy Happy Hour specials on our regular size Cadillac & House margaritas until 6:00 pm at your fave Gringo’s location.

Or maybe you’re looking to shake things up a bit on your next trip. Look no further than one of our signature margaritas. *Not available on Happy Hour special*

X-R Margarita: hints of blood orange & passion fruit featuring X-Rated Fusion vodka, served frozen or straight-up. *Not available on Happy Hour special*

Skinny Margarita: Organic Dulce Vida blanco tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice and organic agave nectar, splashed with Topo Chico. *Not available on Happy Hour special*

Corona Rita: our classic frozen margarita spiked with a Corona Extra. *Not available on Happy Hour special*

Whatever your drink of choice, cheers to sipping responsibly this #NationalMargaritaDay with us!

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Game Day Ready

Heather McKeon — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 14:34:02 +0000

We’re gearing up for the Big Game next Sunday! And though we’re closing our stores at 4pm on February 2nd, we’re taking catering and take-out orders now.

To get you game day ready, we’ve scored some fun facts just for you.

The average game day watcher will consume around 1,200 calories while snacking
11 million pounds of chips will be consumed on game day– Holy Guacamole!
48 million people will order take-out on Super Bowl Sunday. Let us do the cooking!

Now that you’re in the mood for food, let’s talk options for your game day watch party. Queso, guacamole & our famous creamy green sauce are a staple and must have for any crowd. Order by the pint (3-5 people), quart (10-15 people) or gallon (50-60 people) and secure your spot as MVP with your fans & family.

Finger foods & variety more your speed? Our Snack Attack appetizer tray can tackle even the biggest hunger at your fiesta. Southwest eggrolls, combo quesadillas, chicken taquitos, and beef empanadas. And how can we forget our guest favorite, Amazon sauce, for dipping!

If you’re feeding an entire football team of your own, our Fajita Packs are the ticket! Combination fajitas, grilled onions, guacamole, pico de gallo, grated cheese, rice, beans, tortillas, chips & salsa… taco ’bout a Touchdown! Preorder a small (4-6 people) or large (8-12 people) fajita pack for your game day fiesta.

So whichever team you’re rooting for this coming Sunday, don’t forget your Game Day Eats from Gringo’s! Reminder >> all locations are closing at 4pm on Big Game Day, Sunday, February 2nd.

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Top 10 of 2019

Heather McKeon — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 15:22:42 +0000

2019, you treated us so well! So many great highlights for our company, it was hard to pick the top 10. Who could forget the announcement of Gringo’s Katy, coming in 2020?! Or our Every Queso Counts event, benefitting Camp Hope? Thank You to all of our valued guests, these moments wouldn’t be possible without your continued patronage. We can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store.

Our 3 Pearland locations hosted Tex-Mex for Heroes, raising a total of $50,248, for a brand new mortgage-free home for the Visbal family.

We announced our newest venture, Gringo’s Katy — our 14th location coming at ya in 2020.

The limited-time Crush City Margaritas — The Changeup and the Cuveball — were a homerun!

We gave away 4 Mexico Vacations for Cinco De Mayo!

We hosted Every Queso Counts, raising an incredible amount of $52,694.56, in one day, for Camp Hope and the PTSD Foundation of America.

The Tex-Mex Legacy Foundation awarded 5 annual scholarships for the 2019 Fall semester.

Our kitchens fired up our very first Hatch Chile Fiesta, with limited-time Hatch Chile features from August through September.

We partnered with the Houston Texans to bring the delicious Tex-Mex to NRG Stadium during home games, serving over 7,000 Texans fans.

Guests purchased t-shirts, margaritas, pin-up pumpkins, and contributed online during the month of October, totaling a donation of over $205,224 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

We served up a brand new menu item, Tacos al Pastor, for the holidays, donating a portion of every Pastor sold to the Tex-Mex Legacy Foundation. Selling over 13,926, from November 19th through December 31st, it’s safe to say this item was a hit!

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Gringo’s Success Comes From Taking Care of Workers

Heather McKeon — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 15:05:04 +0000

Gringo’s Success Comes From Taking Care of Workers

11/22/19 | By: Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle

Russell Ybarra likes to brag about his MBA, only his stands for Mop and Bucket Attendant. He earned it at his dad’s La Porte restaurant, El Toro.

Sitting today in the headquarters of his restaurant empire, called the Tex-Mex Institute, Ybarra recalls some not-so-pleasant memories from when he first tried to prove himself. He struggled with his first food business, made some poor decision and focused on the wrong priorities.

“I got married at 18, I had two kids by the time I was 25, I lost a house to foreclosure when I was 26, and I returned a vehicle because I could no longer afford the $420.91 payment. You always remember the hard numbers,” he told me. “Whenever I focused on making money, I didn’t make any money.”

Ybarra looked again at how his father operated El Toro. Ybarra had worked full time there after graduating high school, and he remembered how his father spent profits to help build a church, sponsor a little league and care for employees.

When Ybarra tried again to open a restaurant in 1993, he had a whole new plan. “I was no longer going to focus on making money. I was going to focus on producing the absolute best product that I could and offer it at the absolute best value that I could,” he said.

Fabulous Gringo’s Tex-Mex has since grown into a chain of 19 family restaurants with annual revenue of $110 million and 2,500 employees.

Ybarra still credits quality, service and price as keys to his success, but he recognizes none of those are possible without good employees. Skilled workers — and as someone who has worked in restaurants, believe me, these jobs require skills — are hard to find in today’s tight labor market.

“It’s almost too competitive right now,” Ybarra said. “Our management team spends a lot of time interviewing, hiring and training and, we’re trying to reduce that the best way we can.”

Ybarra’s restaurants, which include Jimmy Changas, The Lunch Box and Burger Libre, offer full-time jobs with health insurance, retirement plans and bonuses, even for hourly workers. Everyone makes well above minimum wage, and managers focus on retention by developing a culture based on loyalty. “Had you told me when I opened this restaurant in ’93 that one day I’d pay for funerals, pay for vehicles, pay for houses and surgeries, I would never have believed you,” Ybarra said. “At the core of it, it’s about our people, which we consider our first stakeholders.”

Read the full article here.

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Hatch Chile Fiesta at Gringo’s and Jimmy Changas

Heather McKeon — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 18:56:44 +0000

Can you handle the heat? Take a look inside our kitchen with Corporate Chef, Alex Chicas, as we fire up a Hatch Chile Fiesta, with new limited time, Hatch Chile features available August 13th through September 30th.

New limited time Hatch Chile features:

Hatch Chile Queso Blanco – hatch green chiles simmered & blended with white cheeses for a unique queso experience.

Southwest Hatch Chile Enchiladas – hatch green chile crema – sautéed to order – with shredded chicken, grilled corn & black beans, rolled in white corn tortillas, smothered in our new hatch chile tomatillo salsa.

Hatch Chile Pollo Y Camarónes – gulf shrimp, avocado & baby portobello mushrooms, sautéed to order in our limited time hatch chile queso blanco atop a grilled chicken breast.

All items pair perfectly with our Pineapple Margarita – muddled fresh pineapple, shaken to order with Houston’s local, Titanium reposado tequila, Cointreau & a hint of organic agave nectar.

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Restaurant Reaches Out To Help Local Boy Scout Troop

Heather McKeon — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 09:00:25 +0000

Restaurants reach out to help after Boy Scout trailer stolen from church

07/30/19 | By: Taisha Walker, KPRC Click2Houston

TOMBALL, Texas – A Boy Scout troop is learning a tough lesson about doing the right thing. Scout Troop 41 of Tomball discovered Monday night that someone stole their camping trailer sometime over the weekend. It’s usually parked behind Church of the Good Shepherd on East Carrell Street. Kevin Bissell, the committee chairman, said Scouts were gathering Monday night for their weekly meeting when one of them noticed the large white trailer was missing.

“One of the adults walked in and said the trailer’s gone. So we kinda reached out to some people who may have taken it somewhere and so we came over and noticed all the locks had been cut,” Bissell said.

Bissell estimated the trailer is worth $6,000 to $8,000. It’s the items inside that held the true value. The committee chairman said there were camping stoves, glass lanterns, tarps and tents among the items inside the trailer.

“We’re thinking it’s in the neighborhood of $22,000 for just the equipment inside,” he said.

Gringo’s Tex-Mex and Jimmy Changas got word of the stolen trailer on social media. The companies plan to write a $10,000 check to the troop Wednesday to help replace the trailer and some of the camping supplies.

“We actually don’t know anyone from the troop, but we all have families and kids and when they reached out, it just tugged at our hearts … these kids and their families and all the hard work they did to raise that money that’s suddenly stolen from them,” said Curtis Koch, an operations manager for the company.

Boy Scout Troop 41 is raising money to make up the rest of the funds.

Troop 41 dining at Gringo’s The Woodlands

Read the full article here.

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