Carlos Gaytan, world-renowned chef, sits down with us on a special episode of The Face of Chicago Business to share his story.

Carlos came from humble beginnings growing up in a small town in Mexico called Huitzuco, the inspiration for his current restaurant masterpiece in Chicago’s Gold Coast, Tzuco. Growing up in such a small town, it was difficult to dream big. There weren’t many examples of success. For Carlos, he didn’t always know he wanted to cook but he started washing dishes in a hotel to break into the hospitality industry.

“Then from thereI tried to get to another restaurant early so I could learn to prep meals and things like that. So I was the first one there and the last one to leave.”

An incredibly hard worker, Carlos learned so much from growing up his hometown and from his mother, his biggest inspiration. It’s these flavors that he strives to bring to Chicago and his cuisine.

Like many chefs, Carlos was French trained and spent many of his early years cooking French cuisine to the point where he was running a French bistro, Bistrot Margot, that had become the best French restaurant in the icty for three years in a row.

This laid the foundation for his two-time Michelin Star winning restaurant, Mexique. Fusing French and Mexican cuisines, Mexique was incredibly popular in its heyday, making Carlos the first Mexican-born chef to be awarded a Michelin Star. “Now we have six different chefs,” Carlos tells us.

For Carlos, being an entrepreneur has always been about family.

“I just want to have a business so that I can help my family. That I can make sure my kids can go to college and I can help my wife and everything.”

After a decade of success with Mexique and a successful restaurant in Mexico that is still thriving, he’s moved on to start a new venture here in Chicago, Tuzco.

And this is all merely a brief synopsis of an impressive resume. What’s even more impressive is the man himself and his story of success and blessings. Tune in to this episode of The Face of Chicago Business Podcast to hear more about Carlos Gaytan and the beautiful soul behind the award winning cuisine.