Matriarch Adelaida Cuellar made more money selling tamales and chili during a Kaufman County Fair than her husband Macario earned in a year as a rancher. Her recipes for success inspired their 12 children to create their own opportunities in the restaurant business. Five sons, known as “Mama’s Boys,” created delicious Mexican dishes that blended flavors familiar to the American palate with new ingredients and spices.

They catered to U.S. Presidents at the White House and monarchs overseas. Ultimately, Cuellar family-founded restaurants introduced Tex-Mex food to global diners and taught entrepreneurship to employees, who then launched dozens more flourishing businesses.