Make Room For Tacos

Earlier this month, I had the chance to lead an offsite for 6 culinary executives from US-based Mexican food restaurants on a 4 day/3 night culinary tour of the Yucatan Peninsula. This region of Mexico just 90 minutes North of Cancun is a hidden gem as most people go south from Cancun to Playa del Carmen or Tulum. But going North showcases an incredible blend of the traditional Mayan cuisine from the jungle and from the Holbox island seafood chefs.

This was my 9th trip to the region since 2015 when I went down to help a friend lead a leadership class for underprivileged students in the area. That leadership class would become a yearly event in the area that as of two years ago gave way to the first ever certified Culinary Institute in the region and I am proud to serve on its board.

These culinary tours have become a great way for our team to share the stories and tastes of the region with visitors and to give our students exposure to professionals that can impact their studies and give them a vision for the future.

One group of chefs from the amazing bartaco restaurants were so inspired by the tastes of these tours that they created a secret taco for their menu. We just found out the results:

This is a game-changer for our students.

And we've already had another restaurant group come up with a similar plan for Women's History Month in March and the celebration of female chefs.

If you know anyone in the restaurant business who would like to go with me on a future culinary tour, it would be an honor to introduce them to the students, the region, and the incredible stories that I've been a part of over the past nine years.

This all happened because of an amazing team of caring people from around the world that got curious and asked, "why not?"

"Why not have an accredited culinary institute in a small town outside the cultural center of the region to help launch students into a future that would be impossible otherwise?"

So maybe that's our question to ponder today when we think about what could be and what should be, "Why not?"

Have a great week!

Andy