Meet the Maker: A Conversation with Siete

What's the story behind Siete?

When our sister, Veronica, was diagnosed with several health conditions as a teenager, our brother, Rob, suggested she adopt a grain free diet to try and alleviate her symptoms. Because our family does everything together, we all joined her, but soon realized we couldn’t enjoy many of the foods we’d grown up eating like flour tortillas. So, Veronica began experimenting and created a tortilla that would eventually become our first Siete product: Grain Free Almond Flour Tortillas. Because even our grandma who made the best flour tortillas liked Veronica’s almond flour tortillas, our brother, Miguel, encouraged her to share her tortillas beyond only our close friends and family. That’s when Siete was started, about eight years ago.

 

What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about grain-free eating?

All dietary changes, whether due to sensitivities, allergies, and/or preferences, can be difficult to make at the start. It can sometimes feel isolating to cut foods or ingredients out of your diet, but new, inclusive products that are made with many different diets in mind are hitting shelves each day. The food industry has changed so much over the past few years (and continues to change every day), and foods made for everyone are becoming more and more available! We’re honored to play a small part in the change, especially for those who love to eat Mexican-American food, and we hope Siete brings something exciting and delicious to your table that everyone can enjoy—no matter their dietary preferences or restrictions.

 

Family is obviously at the center of everything you do. How has that impacted the way the brand has developed and continues to operate today?

Because Siete is family-owned and operated, we’ve made it a point to prioritize our relationships above all else. One of our core company values is: “Family First, Family Second, Business Third”—this was inspired by the way our mom, Aida, and her mom, our Grandma Campos, always put family first and second. So even though our family is running a business, we prioritize each others’ health, happiness, and well-being before work. And, now that we’ve grown from the Garza seven to Siete, that value feels like a testament to the family culture we practice at our workplace. We prioritize people—each person who joins our team is thought of as familia, and that’s rewarding day in and day out.

 

Has anything surprised you about your journey/success?

Ten years ago, just the idea of starting a business felt impossible. We felt like we needed to know it all before we could even start. To our surprise, we were wrong! When we first started out, it was intimidating to enter the business and the food industry—especially as Latinos who had grown up in a smaller city in South Texas. But we did it all together—as a family—and that’s what made the difference, and continues to make our journey even more rewarding.

 

What’s next on the horizon for Siete or what do you hope to do next?

Our Culinary & Innovation is always hard at work creating delicious heritage-inspired foods using nourishing and innovative ingredients! You can certainly expect to see more Siete Small Batch product announcements—which are our limited-edition, limited-quantity products straight from our Siete kitchen to your doorstep. We also plan to continue our annual Siete Juntos Fund which was inspired by our motto, "Juntos es Mejor," or "together is better." The fund serves as an opportunity for us to support Latino/a/é businesses across the country. Along with both of those, we will also continue growing our team and expanding our lines (stay tuned for some very exciting product announcements)!

 

Tell us about one thing on your mind right now either environmentally, socially, etc.?

We always take time to celebrate our culture and the Latinx community by: sharing the stories of those who came before us, highlighting Latinx artists and creators that inspire us, and sharing foods of our Mexican-American heritage with others. Most recently, for Heritage Month, we created our heritage-inspired digital series, “Live Your Heritage” in honor of culture, authenticity, and identity. And as the year goes on, holidays like Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Christmas are opportunities for us to share special and nostalgic parts of our heritage with more people. We love Dia de los Muertos—a beloved holiday in our Mexican culture—How do heritage and tradition play a part in the way you think about food? As a company, heritage reminds us of where we come from, informs how we give back to friends, family, and the community, and shapes how we innovate and grow. Using heritage as a north star, we create heritage-inspired foods that hopefully makes us stand out as a brand and hopefully encourages others to do the same—share the foods of their heritage with more people every day.

 

What do you want people to understand or learn about cooking authentic Mexican fare at home?

Our goal has always been to promote inclusivity at the table by using a variety of whole, nourishing ingredients so that everyone can have a taste of Mexican-American foods—no matter their dietary restrictions or preferences! Being able to meet people’s dietary needs and share heritage-What's been the response to Siete from your community in South Texas, and beyond? This entire journey has been incredibly humbling, and we’ve learned a lot! One thing we learned early on is that we had a very strong support system in place—both in Austin and in our hometown, Laredo, Texas. Though navigating this experience of building a Mexican-American food brand was completely new to us, we didn’t do it alone. We were helped greatly by many people in Laredo, Austin, and the food community as a whole. Along the way, we’ve learned many lessons and made lifelong connections. Juntos es Mejor!

 

Want to explore more from Siete? Check out their grain-free tortilla chips, Mexican cookies, and hot sauces here.