Your Stories

This page will be routinely updated with stories of your interactions with Diego. While I do not pretend to be a journalist, I will do my best to maintain the integrity of the story being told and will only publish stories where the business or personal relationship has been verified by other people. No stories are published without full consent by the submitter regarding the level of detail and personally identifying information.

​

​

​

Former Restaurant Mixtli Employee

​

I’m so sorry to hear about what you are going through, but good for you for this and I hope Diego gets what’s coming to him. I worked for Mixtli in 2015 and didn’t stay long because of Diego’s behavior. Cassie and I became close because we were close in age, had mutual friends and literally did all the work for his prestigious 12 seat restaurant. Within weeks I lost respect for the food when I was told to make chicken ruloudes with frozen HEB chicken, but tell the guest it’s farm chicken… or buying frozen tuna steaks and passing that off as “blue fin tuna ceviche” they would brag about farm to table and helping farmers, donating some proceeds to local farmers markets, when it never actually happened. I started working here to help with the opening of the mezcalaria, and quickly saw Diego’s dark side. Once we went our separate ways, the Mixtli team did everything they could from blacklisting me in the city I grew up in. It’s a shame he is able to enjoy success after treating people so poorly and being a disgusting person. Takes advantage of young cooks (mainly girls), lies to the city about what he serves. He even went so far as to talk bad about me in a completely unrelated article he was featured in. Grow up, Diego. Good luck Alex, I will spread this message.

​

Chris Dortch

Former Mezcaleria Mixtli Employee

 

Hi Alex,
    Following publication of your assault case in the SA Express News I was contacted by several people who read the article and who knew that I had worked at and helped open Mixtli Mezcalaria. Upon reading your webpage I felt I should contact you and share my experience working there, which was similar to that of others you have spoken with. While I did enjoy my brief time working there (it was a well designed facility and a lot of the clientele were familiar to me from my time working in the Alamo Heights area) there were a number or irregularities and ethical lapses that resulted in my exit in under a month.
 

Despite the fact that I had been in touch with management about a position prior to the bar opening, it was not until the afternoon of the opening day of the bar that I was sorta "hired". I received a phone call around three or so in the afternoon asking if I was still interested and if so could I be there that night? I agreed to come in and so began one of the more unprofessional experiences I've ever had working in the industry. First off at no point during my employment there was I provided a W4 form even though I asked at least three different times. It was always put off and would be gotten to later. Likewise at no point during my time there could I get management to commit to a set schedule, they much preferred going "day by day" so I was only able to get a firm commitment about a date I'd be needed a few times. It became obvious that the decision had been made to staff the bar with "buddies" of the management who had other full time jobs. So only if they could not get enough buddies in would they need me, this became obvious pretty quickly.

​

In addition to being paid no base rate or having my tax situation properly addressed, the tip situation was troubling. The first week it seemed to work out fine, but very quickly it devolved into an unethical mess. As with my questions about the W4 form, my questions about how the tips were being determined and dolled out were avoided. I asked more than once because I would occasionally work extremely busy nights and make less than on slower nights. It was evident to me that I was being paid whatever they felt like paying me on any given night and not owing to any mathematical formula. At the end of the third week I again asked about the W4, the scheduling and what the calculation and method behind the tips was. I again received the same unsatisfactory answer or should I say dodge so I elected to sever ties with them and not return to work for them. They could have cared less.

 

I've heard rumors about blacklisting and bullying associated with the Mixtli operation. I'm completely unconcerned about any such attempts upon myself. I've been working in the industry in San Antonio for the past fifteen years and have established a good reputation with restaurateurs all over the city.  I also don't like bullies. So I wanted to add my voice and assure you I'll be glad to offer my testimony should it be needed by anyone else in the industry and if it can help in any way.