Frontera: The Celebrity Factor

Posted: 2009 Mar 23 The “Celebrity Factor” … in today’s competitive business world it can generate the kind of publicity that can put a young company on the map.  Rick Bayless, a Chicago Chef with acclaimed restaurants, a top-rated PBS cooking show, and best-selling cookbooks has learned to use his celebrity factor to stand out in a highly competitive market.  Bayless joined forces with marketing executive Manuel Valdes and together they parlay Bayless’ growing celebrity into a $30 million food empire.The Entrepreneurs premieres Thursday, April 2nd  9p | 1a ETVisit The Entrepreneurs website

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press Scottish born, celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay oversees a global restaurant empire and is said to be worth more than 100 million dollars.  Like Rick, he has several books on cooking and his own television show. Originally started as Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, in the UK, the American version as we know it is called Hell's Kitchen, a reality television cooking show where emotions run hot.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press Wolfgang Puck was born in Austria and cooking ran in his blood. He learned many of his early cooking skills from his mother who worked as a pastry chef. Today he has 13 restaurants; has written several cookbooks, runs a catering business located in 13 different US cities and has his own food product line which includes soups, appetizers, pizzas, coffee, and cooking spray. As of 2006, Puck's empire was worth about $500 million, according to Forbes magazine.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press Bobby Flay is an American born celebrity chef. He owns 7 restaurants around the US. He's put out his own line of cooking sauces and rubs, and has a new kitchen product line through Kohl’s. He is one of four chefs that regularly appear on the hit television show Iron Chef and it’s rumored that his net worth is somewhere around $20 million.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press Emeril Lagasse is the chef-proprietor of 10 restaurants.  Lagasse hit celebrity status after his cooking show started airing on the Food Network in 1993. Currently he has hosted over 1,600 shows, is the best selling author of 12 cookbooks and has a large kitchen product line of cutlery, cookware, and tableware.

Like others Bayless hopes his star power will help Frontera Foods products shine at the grocery store.  The company features chips, salsas, soups, sauces, and pizzas all in their line of foods. In 2008, sales for the company reached more than 14 million.

Photo Courtesy of Rick Bayless Mexico: One Plate at a Time is a cooking show on PBS now in its 7th season.  Host Rick Bayless brings together the people, stories and food of Mexico and turns it into a culinary adventure each episode. This photo is Rick on set while filming of the series.

Photo Courtesy of Rick Bayless From 1980 to 1986, after studying Spanish and Latin American Studies as an undergraduate, and doing doctoral work in Anthropological Linguistics at the University of Michigan, Rick lived in Mexico - acquiring the knowledge and inspiration for what would one day bring him success. This particular photo was taken in Guanajuaro Mexico in 1984.

Photo Courtesy of Rick Bayless In 1987, Rick moved to Chicago and opened the hugely successful Frontera Grill, which specializes in contemporary regional Mexican cooking. Today, it still remains one of Chicago's hottest dining spots.

Photo Courtesy of Rick Bayless Deemed “the Oscars of the food world,” by Time magazine, The James Beard Foundation Awards are the country’s most coveted honor for chefs. Rick Bayless is pictured here in 1991, winning a James Beard Award for "Best American Chef: Midwest." In 1995, he won another James Beard Award for "National Chef of the Year" as well as an award for "Chef of the Year" from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).

Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless brings authentic Mexican flavors to America and now hopes his star power will help Frontera Foods shine at the grocery store.And, a prospering entrepreneur has his best idea yet…donate shoes for every pair sold.  Blake Mycoskie’s Toms Shoes helps children in need around the world.The Entrepreneurs premieres Thursday, April 2nd  9p | 1a ETPlay Toms Shoes: A-List Appeal slideshowReplay Frontera: The Celebrity Factor slideshowVisit The Entrepreneurs Website