 Rudy Flores, Grill'n & Chill'n
El Paso, TX10961 Gateway Blvd. West, El Paso, TX
East Side store may be a barbecue lover's dream
When former pharmaceutical salesman Rudy Flores traveled to the West Coast, he saw stores dedicated to the culture of barbecuing -- grills of all kinds, outdoor grilling tools and cookbooks.
Now an entrepreneur, Flores has opened his own venture in El Paso -- Grill'n & Chill'n BBQs and More, at 10961 Gateway West. From tailgating grills to equipment for backyard barbecue bashes, the new store in East El Paso sells outdoor cooking enthusiasts everything from tongs to complete kitchens.
Flores, 36, opened the store in August and said the first month's gross sales were $20,000.
Rudy Botello, who lives on the West Side, calls himself a "satisfied customer."
"The store is great," he said. "I do a lot of barbecuing, so this is an interesting place for me to visit."
Botello bought a Lynx grill, a quality grill used by many restaurants. Flores installed the grill at Botello's home on the West Side as part of an island, which includes a counter top, a cooler and a mini-bar.
"What I like best about Grill'n & Chill'n is that it's a one-stop shop for barbecuing," Botello said. "They have everything you can imagine for barbecuing."
Botello said he paid $6,500 for his backyard barbecuing center.
Flores said his store sells U.S.-made gas grills, charcoal grills, smokers, grills for tailgating, charcoal, wooden chips, salsa, barbecue sauce, gifts for beginners, cookbooks, long barbecue tongs and other tools. The store also offers -- and installs -- complete outdoor kitchens.
"I enjoy talking to the customers," Flores said. "Most of them are men, and we share an interest in cooking outdoors. It's kind of fun to watch the guys who come in to look around and end up swapping recipes."
Flores' wife, Patsy, an employee of EchoStar, works part time in the store. Otherwise, Flores runs the store himself.
"I'd never been in business before," Flores said. "I was a pharmaceutical salesman. When I traveled on the West Coast, I found these barbecue specialty stores and enjoyed visiting them. When I earned my master's in business administration (at the University of Texas at El Paso) I decided this was the business I wanted to open."
Flores and his wife, who also holds an MBA from UTEP, went to the Small Business Development Center, where Olga M. Tavárez, a certified business adviser, guided them through applying for a loan.
Flores got a $128,800 loan April 27 with the help of loan officer Carmen Contreras of First Savings Bank. The loan was guaranteed by the Small Business Administration.(Story was featured in the El Paso Times on September 30, 2005, by Ken Flynn, Times Reporter.)
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