For the Garzas, the State Fair has been the family business for three generations

After her shift as an ITS assistant teacher in Dallas, Denise Garza de la Cruz drives to the Texas State Fair to work in the afternoon at one of her family’s four food stands.

Wearing a golf visor and a navy blue T-shirt with Big Tex print, Garza de la Cruz pours caramel over the fried chocolate Tres Leches cake on a Thursday afternoon.

Garza is part of a three-generation tradition of running food concession stands at the state fair.

Garza de la Cruz’s parents, Trini and Benilde, were among the first Hispanic families to sell groceries at the fair 38 years ago.

In fact, they were the ones who presented “Fajitas” to the public at the 1983 State Fair.

Her family legacy opened the doors to other Latin American food concessionaires like Frutería Cano, who sells fruit cups and other Mexican snacks to thousands of carnival goers in September and October.

The Garzas operate four different concession stands at the fair. One of them sells fajitas, another sells pizza, and two sell fried foods like fried capirotada and fried brownies.

The eldest brother of Garza de la Cruz, Jerome Garza, is responsible for looking after the grandstands, one of the tasks that his father Trini Garza had in his youth.

All hands on deck

Gabriel Llaguno, 36, helps his mother Denise Garza with her booth while she works in a primary school 15 minutes from Fair Park.

Llaguno took a few days off from his job as an electrician to help his mother run the fryer.

Although Trini Garza no longer operates the concessions with his family due to his age, at 90 he is the oldest concession holder of the State Fair of Texas.

Trini Garza was a forerunner of Latino activism in Dallas. He was also the first Hispanic to serve on the school board, and a state high school is named after him.

Denise Garza de la Cruz prepares a deep-fried chocolate tres leches cake at the State Fair of Texas on Wednesday.Denise Garza de la Cruz prepares a deep-fried chocolate tres leches cake at the State Fair of Texas on Wednesday.(Elias Valverde II / employee photographer)

Garza de la Cruz said her father would love to be on the fairgrounds to help his family and talk to customers, but his children limit his time at the fair because of his age.

“What my father loves at the show is meeting people and talking to them – with everyone who approaches the stand,” said Jerome Garza, 63.

“When a customer went to Texas A&M, they had to hug them,” said Jerome Garza.

His father has a university degree as an engineer.

Fajitas famous

The arrival of the Garzas at the fair was not easy, although they have been celebrated as a family business for three generations.

The family tried several times to be accepted as a stand operator at the fair.

Now they’re getting recognitions like the Texas Choice Awards, the fried food competition held before the State Fair begins.

The awards they have been honored with include:

Best taste: Arroz con Leche, 2018.

Most creative: Fla’Mango Tango.

Benilde Garza, who died in March 2014, is the reason why the family has so far attended the fair.

Benilde gave up her job as a nurse to pursue her childhood dream of starting her own business.

In 1976 she bought the “Restaurante Ranchero” and since Trini Garza was already a retired engineer, he helped her run the business, said Jerome Garza.

This year, at the time of the fair, Benilde Garza noticed that the number of customers in her restaurant was falling.

“Why don’t people come (to the restaurant)?” At the time, Benilde Garza asked one of her customers.

He replied: “Because we are going to the fair.”

Garza de la Cruz said that her mother told Trini Garza at the time: “If they don’t come to our restaurant, we have to go to them.”

An early 1990s State Fair of Texas photo of Denise Garza de la Cruz, daughter of Benilde Garza who first opened the Garza Family Food Stand, at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, shown September 30th 2021. An early 1990s State Fair of Texas photo of Denise Garza de la Cruz, daughter of Benilde Garza who first opened the Garza Family Food Stand, at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, shown September 30th 2021. (Ben Torres / special article)

Benilde Garza has filled out an application for a food stand at the state fair. But she had to try eight times before she was accepted.

Jerome Garza said his mother applied for a concession stand at the fair for seven years.

It wasn’t until Dallas Mayor Austin Starke Taylor Jr. conducted an interview with Joseph “Joe” Macdonald Dealey, President of the Texas State Fair, in 1983 that the garzas and their food arrived at Fair Park.

Taylor was visiting Benilde and Trini Garza’s restaurant when he mentioned that their fajitas dish would be popular at the fair.

Benilde Garza was ready to impress the trade fair president during her interview.

How did she do it With tacos de fajitas.

Macdonald Dealey has never tried tacos de fajitas, said Jerome Garza.

His mother delighted her with her food, and the Garzas have been busy with concession stands at the fair ever since.

When Benilde and Trini Garza had to run their restaurant, their oldest child, Jerome Garza, ran their first fajitas stand.

His parents had four children who took turns running the concession booths over the years.

Fried Capirotada, or Fried Mexican Bread Pudding, at one of the Garza family booths at the State Fair of Texas. Fried Capirotada, or Fried Mexican Bread Pudding, at one of the Garza family booths at the State Fair of Texas. (Ben Torres / special article)

The legacy

Garza de la Cruz began helping out in the exhibition business in 1987 when her children were small.

Llaguno, the son of Garza de la Cruz, started working in the concession at the age of 15.

They involve their offspring in the family business because they will continue and lead the family tradition in the future, said Garza de la Cruz.

“It’s hard to keep tradition alive. There were years when my kids said, ‘Ma, this year we’re not going to help.’ And I say OK, but they keep coming, ”she said.

Garza de la Cruz said that sometimes they don’t make a lot of money doing the fair business, but her father reminds them that they could help other people they hired for the fair.

She admits that she didn’t always enjoy working on the concession stand because it was a lot of work. But when the fair was canceled last year, she found that she really loves the State Fair of Texas.

“I love to be on the exhibition grounds and to be able to offer the fruits that people are looking for,” said Garza de la Cruz.

Jerome Garza shared the same feeling.

Llaguno loves to help make her mother happy.

“If she is happy, then I am happy,” he said.

[ad_1]