The American Dream Story of Juan Carlos Flores, Taqueria Saltillo

Published on October 10, 2025

By Office of Communication

Juan Carlos Flores is living his American dream at Taqueria Saltillo, the family-owned restaurant he helped build from the ground up. His story is one of hard work, perseverance, and pride in the city he has called home since childhood. This summer, his journey took a new step forward as his recipe joined the Arlington ISD menu, inspiring students with a taste of local success.

Flores and his family opened Taqueria Saltillo 15 years ago, turning their shared passion for cooking into a family business. Recently, they were invited to participate in A Taste of Arlington ISD, a program that gives students and alumni the chance to create dishes that could be added to the district’s school menu. Flores’ chicken fajita taco was selected and will now be available to all high school students across Arlington ISD.

“When I was in high school, I remember I wanted to be this, I wanted to be here,” Flores said. “Now that I'm here and going back where I was dreaming, it's a lot of emotions. Because at that time, you're dreaming something that you don't know is going to happen. And now I'm in the dream city living my dream.”

Flores’ journey began when his family moved from Mexico to Arlington in 1997. As a young boy, he found inspiration while helping out in his father’s friend’s restaurant, discovering an early love for the food industry.

“I started working really young,” he said. “I remember I was helping a restaurant when I was 13 years old, cleaning tables at my dad's friend’s restaurant. That’s when that little spark started — I wanted to open a restaurant.”

For Flores, being selected to contribute to the Arlington ISD menu is not just an achievement — it’s a reflection of how far his dream has come and how deeply his family’s work is now rooted in the community.

“I just feel blessed and honored,” he said. “Having hundreds of different taco places they could have chosen from, and now our seasoning being part of Arlington ISD — it’s hard to believe we’re making a big impact.”