Javier Garcia owner and founder of Big Mich, a michelada company. (Image by Big Mich)

By Irene Romulo

Based out of an old corner store near Columbus East Elementary School, Javier Garcia is making a name for himself in the world of micheladas with his new company, Big Mich. Garcia, who grew up in Cicero and went to all the local schools, had dreamed of having his own beverage company for years.

“My dad taught me about micheladas. The first miche I had just had Clamato in a cup with lime juice, my dad said try it and it was delicious,” explains Garcia.

Micheladas can best be described as a “Mexican Bloody Mary.” They are usually made with limon, chile, sal, clamato and beer but although the ingredients are simple, getting the right proportions is not.

Garcia first tested out his own recipe for the mix at his wedding to Nathalie Solis, now a co-owner of the company, in December of 2016. The tios, tias y primos loved it and kept asking the couple for more. It was a few months later, in May of 2017, that Garcia debuted the mix to the public during a much anticipated boxing match. He made $1,000 selling 100 jars of the mix on that one day alone.

It was then that Garcia decided to quit his full time job and devote himself to building the Big Mich business.

Garcia explains that leaving his job was a risk he had to take to pursue his dream. The first year was devoted to growing the customer base and finding ways to meet growing demand.

Garcia and Solis credit other Cicero businesses for their continued success. Before they had their own commercial kitchen, for example, Eat Clean Chicago let Garcia and Solis use their space without question. There’s also the Cicero-based grocers that supply the chiles and other fresh ingredients. Even the marketing and t-shirt companies they partner with were founded by people in Cicero.

“We’re not this huge corporation that’s just trying to appeal to [Latinos] because they understand que somos muchos and we have buying power. No, this is coming from us by us,” says Solis.

That’s why Garcia and Solis intentionally seek out partnerships with other small, local, Latinx-owned business and employ people from the community they serve.

“I love to see Latinos thrive. I want to make something for them, and for the next generation for them to see that there is space for us,” says Garcia. “I want good practices to become the norm, not the exception. Pa’ delante todos.”

For any individuals hoping to start their business, Garcia says, “Think positive and if you think it’s the right decision to make, make it.”

Big Mich is currently being sold in over 50 locations across the Chicago-land area. It has gone from a one person operation to employing nine full-time staff members.

“Before Big Mich I was in the corporate e-commerce world for ten years,” says Daniel Vargas Jr. who has been on staff for a year now. “I’m glad that I was given this opportunity to see something like this cultivate...to me, it's inspiration. They are setting a standard for latino owned business owners.”

For now, Garcia and Solis say they will continue to focus on providing the best product for their growing customers and to find ways to ethically grow their business. They also hope to one day get to a place where they can help supply a monthly income for their parents.

“It would bring us so much joy,” explains Solis. “We owe it to them.”