SALT LAKE CITY — If you love authentic Mexican food and you've lived in Utah for a while, you're probably already a fan of Rico Foods but the story behind the popular brand is one focused on passion and dedication.
Jorge Fierro is tirelessly devoted to his business and after 25 years of building the brand, he doesn't take a single day for granted.
"I actually have a tattoo there is pay it forward and that's how I think," Fierro explained. "I am so grateful for the career and the life that I have in America, that I always think of paying it forward."
Fierro immigrated to the United States with only his knowledge of beans.
"I started making the La Jolla pinto beans which are fully cooked ready-to-eat pinto beans," he remembered.
With a fresh batch of pinto beans, Fierro headed to a farmer's market to try his hand at being an entrepreneur.
"It was really hard to make a living at it. In fact, I remember the first Saturday, I only sold two little boxes of beans," he said.
Although Fierro's beans were not an overnight success, he didn't give up.
"When I first came to Utah, I had to depend on the Rescue Mission for like, three weeks and then the shelter, I used to go to the men's shelter, I lived there for two months," he said.
Fierro's determination to follow his heart and his instincts prevailed and paid his success forward by feeding Utahns experiencing homelessness.
After he hit some success, he was devastated once again when his restaurant was forced to close. But he did not hesitate to reinvent himself, now producing authentic Mexican food distributed in Utah grocery stores.
"I was able to come from a different country and create a great business and land in a great community," Fierro reflected. "For that, I will always be grateful."
For all of his hard work, Fierro was recently recognized by Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall with a mayoral proclamation. November 21 will now be known as Jorge Fierro Day.
As for what's next for Fierro, he said his goal is to get his products in grocery stores across the country, sharing his passion with people nationwide.
