EDGAR RICO & SARA MARDANBIGI

KF: We hear so much about the problematic situations that come with Austin's food systems. And I know you guys experienced it firsthand not only from the things you do in your community, but also just being in the space of agriculture itself. What was your first expectation going in to the Austin community? Or did you have any expectations about what the agricultural food scene would be like for you in Austin?

ER: I mean, for me personally, coming from California where the agricultural scene there is, I would say probably world-class and probably one of the best in America. It was definitely a little unexpected. 

What I didn;t know is how the weather climate here isn’t really the best for growing stuff all year round, like you can out there. But I was actually very surprised and fascinated to see that there was so much urban farming that actually happens here in the city of Austin and within the city limits. 

I was really impressed by that, and the people are willing to take that extra effort to grow these kinds of things here within the community, and give access to people that are not too far away. So it’s kinda cool to be able to access the food, if you do happen to live in an area, that may not have the quality of produce that you’re looking for. 

KF: That speaks so much to accessibility and the things that we're providing for our community. Is that something that you carry on with your own restaurant, as far as accessibility and being able to be more aware of what the community's reaches and abilities are?

ER: Totally. I mean, we've tried to make our food as affordable as possible and still be able to pay our employees a fair wage, and all the things associated with that as well. So, I mean, I think it's this wheel kind of system of taking care of your community, by supporting local farmers, vendors, and artisans that make those kinds of things. Then you try to do your best to reciprocate that back and cook it, then prepare it in the most beautiful way. Then you turn around and sell it to your community members, as for us at least, at the most affordable price they can get it at, as opposed to other restaurants. Usually, with the typical types of ingredients that we have, you only see them in high-end restaurants.

There's not really a place where you can go and get Steelbow Farms greens for under 20 bucks in this town unless you're going into restaurants. So, I think that's the beauty of a taco in the sense that it's a little meal in a package, that you can kind of make as affordable as you can for people coming to eat.

KF: How do you stay true to who you are with this ever-changing shift of Austin? I mean, not only the housing market, but just the various types of industries, restaurants, and organizations coming in. How do you guys keep yourselves grounded and rooted in who you are as a company?

ER: I mean, I think for ourselves, I think we just kind of always have to look back at who we are and where we came from. Cause both of our parents, and most everyone we work with, are all pretty much children of immigrants.

In that regard, your family holds you up on this pedestal that you never want to let anyone down in your family because so much rides on that. Like, at least for me, I don't want to be a person that brings shame to my family in any way.

With that being said, we have to bring up the people that have been here since the beginning. For instance, one of the employees that we have and is now our Sous Chef Sata who came to this country 15 years ago with aspirations of one day potentially owning her own company. For the longest time, she worked so hard to get a management position at Torchy's. She was there for ten years and was never promoted. They were like, “you do not speak English. Or you do not know how to do X, Y, and Z, or computers.” But I am seeing her from the day she walked into the kitchen and she was on a mission. She had felt disrespected by a larger company that was growing fast (and is now a multimillion-dollar company) and they were like, "we can not afford to put you in, blah, blah, blah."

From the moment she walked into the kitchen, "oh my God, this lady is one of the best cooks I have ever seen in my entire life."  The progression to two years later, she is our CDC and is now on salary. Now I am starting to give her the keys to the next steps as we grow. Giving people these opportunities is what I am all about.

Most of the people that work in this industry, in the back house, are of Mexican descent and brown people. I want to give back to my community in that sense because I know my founding members in my family, who have been in their shoes, were never given those opportunities.

So being someone of Spanish-speaking descent, I kind of hold that in my heart. Many people come here to work hard to get that second opportunity to move up in life and are usually never given the chance because of barriers. Whether it be language or financial,  whatever it may be, they are just never given that chance. 

When we went to do our pop-up in New York, Sata was that person we brought with us. Taking her to a Michelin star restaurant and giving her the opportunity that she would have never had to educate her and expose her to this whole other world to empower her, to you know, empower our company. I dunno, it is a cool opportunity that we have to be able to give people that, and I want to be able to continue to provide for people within our company as we grow.

KF: Exposure is such a key to not only building your community. Is there anything you feel most empowered by as people? Maybe it's related to a restaurant, maybe it's not. 

SM: I firmly believe in, and Edgar alluded to this earlier, that anyone is capable of anything.

It has been something that has been drilled into me by my parents growing up. Coming home with a B was unacceptable. So, I feel like I am in a surreal state almost every day. I cannot believe that two people who have never owned a restaurant have been able to do what we do. I do not know how it happened. I am taking it step-by-step every day, so is he.

The thing that we have held onto since day one is this space is not him or me it is all of us! And by that, I mean we are on this earth for a finite amount of time. What has this space been since? It has been here since 1965 and has been a barbecue joint, a hair salon, a convenience store. We get neighbors in all the time, like “I used to work here as a kid. I have been living here for 50 years in this neighborhood and my friends and I would get into all sorts of tomfoolery over here in this backyard.” And, you know, those are the things that keep me empowered and happy. It is things like hosting the first free fridge through mutual aid, going back to talking about, you know, community and food access. I think I, in a broader sense, understood what that meant. 

When we started doing the SFC, Sustainable Food Centers, CSA boxes right after the pandemic, they were trying to reduce food waste from farmers and provide food access to the general food deserts around Austin. It was not until then when we were distributing food that I realized that one, our neighbors and friends in section eight, do not even have the resources in their kitchen to make this food. And two, they do not even know what it is. So that empowered us, when we got this fridge, to understand what the needs are of our neighbors and pivot in that way.

We saw that day in and day out. We have these two 

Abuela's and Tia's who come every single day to the fridge. We chat with them at their house, Edgar helps them cross the street. It is adorable, but providing different opportunities, external things, whether it is with Sustain Frame or Tankproof on the toy drive, the free fridge, or our team wanting to bring in a smoker they have had to do special projects on it.

So in a roundabout way, those are the things that empower me. Just connecting with people in ways that deal with food. I can not believe what we have accomplished in these two years. It is kind of wild!

KF: What are your personal feelings about food? It could be present or past if there is maybe a story that you feel connected to that had you address your feelings with food and the importance of accessibility to you or lack of accessibility. Does either one of you have a story in mind or thought that could be a reference?

SM: I guess I have two stories. The first is my relationship with food. My respect, love, and appreciation came from my parents, primarily my mom. They both moved from Iran in the late seventies. They were young Iranians living in Arkansas and didn't have access to certain things like saffron and Zereshk, a specific berry, or the vegetables that use these herbs.

Every year we would go to Iran and, when you go to someone's house, they say, "oh, I made one little dish for you, but it's actually like 15 different dishes." It's the same thing for her. When you go to my mom's house, it is understood that everything is centered around food. Food is love. So when we would go to Iran and come back with these seeds, that's where I first saw my mom growing all of these things, tomatoes or cucumbers, all of our herbs. And that was the tie always back to the country. So for me, growing up in Arkansas, being one of the only brown people going to school, I would have these Iranian dishes. Sometimes I would be embarrassed because I wanted the square pizza from the cafeteria or the dino nuggets. Later on, I appreciated how much care went into everything that she did, from growing everything and making the best of what she had access to at the time. That stuck with me and developed my relationship with food and how much goes into it to make it special. 

The second part relates to food access growing up my house burned down. My school all pooled together their resources within one to two days, they had toiletries and food for us. They had gotten accommodations for us while trying to figure out where to live and what to eat. That part of food access stuck out to me because we lost everything overnight. That's what I think about when it comes to the scarcity model in food. In the blink of an eye, everything could be taken away. This is the reality for a lot of people that we've come across living in this neighborhood.

That has always stuck with me. How do you do the best you can for the people around you, whether you know them or not? You know, like that part of growing up in Arkansas has always been with me. Like, it's that type of town where every single person says hi to you. And they engage in a very genuine conversation. 

Ultimately, those two things shaped and formed the foundation of who I am and when it comes to what food means and what our responsibility is when it comes to taking care of those around you. 

KF: What can we do as a community to view life a little differently? Maybe you have a different point of view as business owners?

ER: I mean, for myself, I think the biggest motivator eye-opener for me was definitely during the Texas freeze. Having that moment of vulnerable people, you got to see some of the best in people and some not-so-great things as well. Having something so simple as you provide a meal to someone, especially when things are kind of down and gloomy, brings joy into someone's life.

Sometimes it's just a bowl of hot soup that can change your day and, you know, change your perspective. For me, that's kind of what keeps me going. It's being able to have that opportunity and to be able to change someone's life from whether they're coming into my restaurant or maybe we feed them in some form or manner outside of the restaurant.

I don't know for me. I think the biggest thing (if we can hope for any change) is just having people continue to educate themselves on the food insecurity issues because it's real. It's really real out there, and if people can do whatever they can in terms of donating, that's great. But also, even research what communities in your area may have food insecurity? What can you do? And in whatever way you can to help, like, yeah. I think just having that education helps. Us being able to provide that dialogue for people is a good opportunity and a good entryway for people that may not have an idea of really what's going on within their community.

KF: I love the point that you made about your staff and the ability to keep them involved. As someone who has worked in the restaurant industry for many years. I've seen a large disconnect between the team, where there's just like a hierarchy that comes into play. How do you keep your staff connected to what you're doing in the business and how do you involve them in the process of your ideas?

SM: I think one of the main things we try to do is find ways to empower our employees. We try to identify different areas of interest that keep them motivated and happy. Maybe that is starting our little micro-farm in our backyard and getting our team involved, or it is taking our team on a field trip to Hi-Fi mycology. We went and saw the mushroom wizards, got some of their mycelium blocks, and planted them in our back beds so that we could watch them grow. We are saying, "Hey, here is how you cultivate them. Here is how they grow. Here is what they look like and here are their usages." They are seeing it from the stage of a seed until it is all the way produced and harvested and then cooked into a dish. Showing that is just doesn't magically overnight turn into a delicious taco. There are all of these steps that take place. 

A big part of that has been a good friend, Lindsay Ryman. She was the farm director at JBG for a while now she helped us maintain our garden beds. We are growing all different types of Iranian herbs, depending on the season. There are peppers, peas and carrots, and other stuff.

So especially for those who are working in our back-of-house team, we will say, "Hey, here is what's growing right now. Go take a look, go get inspired by what's going on, and show us what you got." Same thing with our front-of-house employees. 

I think this is important, especially for those who are guest-facing, to talk about where our food comes from, how it is grown, whether it is onsite or offsite with a local farmer.

The way we manage our team is also more on an equitable scale. So we do tip out for everyone (BOH and FOH) so that way you are showing and giving kudos to your back-of-house team. There's been such a long-standing in this industry that your BOH team hasn't been paid a fair wage, so this way it's kind of an even playing field for everyone on our team. I think it is gonna add to that team camaraderie and the team mentality when you know that everyone is being taken care of.

KF: That is such a great program and made me think about how you have created this community for your staff. In my opinion, it's almost as if you guys are activists without saying the word activist. You've taken this chance to stand up against certain boundaries that are laid out for the hospitality industry, and you have set up opportunities that will change the people that work for you. You've set the tone for how they will feel going into other fields of work or discussions they will share with friends and family. Knowing that, does that make you feel any sort of way? Does that make you feel empowered? Does it make you want to keep connecting more?

SM: Yeah, for sure! For example, one of our leads in the kitchen, Josh, is one of the types of team members that we attract, someone who is searching for something a little deeper. He is half Mexican and half European, and I think he never really connected to that Mexican side of him. So everything he is doing and learning about Masa, that's the reason why he came here. There was someone else who had always been interested in fermentation, so we gave them opportunities to explore. I think the type of person that comes to Nixta is just inherently a very passionate person who is seeking something new. In return, we learn a lot from them as well. 

You can offer mentorship and guidance, but at the same time, Nixta is here because it's a culmination of everyone who's here. One part doesn't exist without the other. So for us, yeah, it's cool to see. In a sense, you feel like they're your kids too. I'm watching you grow and flourish, and this is so great. As management, not even management, I feel like there are people who are super close to us and admire and respect them. We are just proud to be a part of this team and excited to see how they continue to grow.

KF: Thinking about the work you guys have done with the community itself, especially in food. Has that formed a new way in which you facilitate the experience? Like, is there a way your brain shifted from seeing that firsthand?

SM: It further fortified what our practices are at Nixta. We are pretty low waste, so if there is a flub in service we always put those items in the free fridge. Also, if there is anything left at the end of the night, we will put it in the free fridge. The first fridge that we got, while we were very grateful for it, was a donated home fridge that just was not doing what it needed to do, especially in terms of food safety. I mean, you want to keep food at a certain temp, especially if it is accessible to everyone in the community. And when I say everyone, like every type of person accesses this fridge, people are on a bike ride, our neighbors. Someone has rolled up and who had been living in their car for the past six months. It is for everyone! That was important for us to see what we could do as a business, to make sure that this thing continues to run efficiently and effectively. So we petitioned Austin mutual aid to provide a newer, larger commercial fridge. We are the ones maintaining that now.

Our team will do daily cleans of it and make sure that the food is okay and not expired. That thing gets filled up, replenished, and depleted probably like 30 times a day. It is kind of crazy. To us, that indicated that food insecurity is very real and that it doesn't impact just one type of person. For a country like America, where we have a wealth of resources and access to almost everything, something as basic as this is getting so much use.

Not sure if I exactly answered your question, but on my side in terms of the service, it is mostly in the maintenance and making sure that it is well taken care of. Also, we are working with partners around the city who can keep it filled up, and that is what we're doing at the restaurant that we can contribute to it as well. 

Sometimes we see school supplies, backpacks, sunscreen, and a little summer kit. One time someone put flowers in there and beautiful cakes. When someone walks up and says, "it's my granddaughter's birthday today. And this is going make her day with these flowers and this cake." That is a motivator right there. So we are doing what we can to make sure that it stays a clean safe space and that it is taken care of.

KF:  I'm thinking about you guys and the little garden you have created. Have you guys gardened before? Is this your first time getting your hands dirty and learning about the seed to harvest?

ER: I guess for both ourselves, at least for me, I grew up in a pretty rural area of America where there's a lot of farming. For myself, I used to as a teenager, actually as a random summer job, I worked on a farm. I'm very used to getting my hands dirty. This is the first time starting with the seed, I used to just harvest when we did stuff like that. It is also my first time maintaining and learning those intricate little details. Learning how to cut the plant at a certain angle or where to cut specific leaves so that you're getting the best maximum growth out of your plants, so you can get as much fruit as you can out of it. I'm learning as we go with Lindsay, and it's kind of cool to have a resource like that. She's a plant whisper who you can go to about anything you can think of that you wouldn't think to ask. Like how much should I water? How often should I water this specific plant? Or, you know, just things like that. She's a great person to have as a resource for that.

KF: What are your relationships with farmers? How has that changed you as a business owner versus maybe your experience when you were in farmer's markets on your own?

ER: For myself, that was something instilled into me early on as a cook. Developing local relationships with people who are growing local food and working with local artisans because it's food that's grown close to where you that is always going to taste better. It's just fresher food. That non-GMO seeds automatically taste a lot better than the thing that's, you know, been sitting in the warehouse for who knows how long, sitting wherever.

As I said, it is this evolving wheel of community. Because it's the farmers and the customers, we're kind of the middleman that is getting the food that the farmers are growing and creating it and making it into a beautiful expression of this food and giving it to our customers.

I think the relationships that we've formed with them are amazing and crucial for how we operate. We can't (I can't) always rely on certain items to grow on a particular week. It's just not like that. So you have your farmer's cell phone number and be like, "Hey buddy, what do you not have?" This is vital to how we run our restaurant because without that relationship we would just be selling commodity food to people. And that's not the passion that drives us.