They fell for each other over margaritas. Two Texans living in London, Elsa and Chris DeGroot, who were both working overseas for American Airlines, took a chance on each other over a plate of enchiladas and a cocktail. “He made the drinks and I made the enchiladas,” Elsa remembers. Little did they know that was a bit of foreshadowing.
Flash forward about 12 years and the DeGroots, by then married parents of two, took another leap together—they left corporate life behind to launch Tepetán, making innovative cold press cocktail mixers. Again, Chris made the drinks—months of research, taste testing and juicing in their Kessler Park kitchen to come up with a product that was as easy as it was fresh.
It’s easy to romanticize life as an entrepreneur, the DeGroots say, but really it takes a lot of juggling and a big dose of grit. They talked to us about finding balance between raising three kids while growing what they call their other child, Tepetán.
Interview with Chris and Elsa DeGroot
DFWChild: Tell us how your story starts—where did you two meet?
Elsa DeGroot: In 2008, we were both working at the American Airlines office in London; Chris had moved there from their office in Moscow, and I came from headquarters in Dallas. We tried not to date in the office—but it happens. [Laughs] He IMed me, I IMed him, and he followed me to the train station one day. We had our first drink, our first date, a little while after that and then dated for about six months before he got sent back to Dallas, and we did long-distance for a while.
DFWChild: And from the start, there were margaritas involved?
ED: Yes, enchiladas and margaritas! In London, you can’t find that in a restaurant, but Chris is from Texas and I’m a suedo-Texan, and we were missing that living abroad. So one night we got together and made it at home—he made the margaritas and I made the enchiladas. Then over time, it kind of became our Friday night thing.
DFWChild: How did the idea for Tepetán come about?
ED: There was really no great option for margaritas at home out there. You could buy these half-gallon, neon jugs that you find at the bottom of the shelf in the middle of aisle in a store. If you wanted a fresh margarita, that meant squeezing, juicing, measuring, following a recipe—there was nothing easy, just pour and shake.
Chris DeGroot: We thought it was possible with cold pressing, a newer technology. Instead of pasteurizing, you put the juices under pressure, and it retains all that you like about a fresh juice, but also maintains safety and shelf-life. We started playing with the idea and I was like, gosh, I really think there’s something here. But it was also like, how do you break away from a stable job, paycheck, benefits to do something like that?
DFWChild: But in 2020 you did?
ED: It was Memorial Day weekend, and you could just sense the changes coming to American Airlines—it was 2020, and the airline industry took a nosedive, obviously. Chris came home and said, ‘They’re giving out packages, the writing is on the wall. It’s a great time to leave and start our own thing.’ I was like, I’m not sure about this. We had two kids, a mortgage. I was nervous. But it was a good time to leave, so he took the package and started on the research and development from home.
DFWChild: Talk us through idea to execution.
ED: Chris bought a commercial juicer and put it in my kitchen (laughs). I had been a stay-at-home mom for a couple years and I had everything how I wanted it, and he put this massive machine in my house and started working on the idea.
At first, we’d have friends over and make margaritas. Chris was our mixologist; it was a lot of small recipe research and development. And then when the big juicer came, it was when we started seeing, OK, how will this look if you make more than just six cocktails one night? Mixology is a science, and that’s what he did for six months with research and development—it’s not just eyeballing it, it’s truly a science. It was making sure there was a balance of the pH levels—the acidity and the sugar. It was putting all the recipes in an Excel sheet. Then once we felt comfortable with the recipes, one day he was like, ‘Let’s juice.’
I put the kids to bed—it was about 7:30pm—and we started slicing. It was 36 hours that we didn’t sleep that first 300 bottles we bottled from our home. We pieced together childcare that day, took it to the pressure facility in Arlington, got them back 24 hours later, and they tasted great.
DFWChild: In early 2021 you sold your first bottle at a pop-up event, and now you’re in about 60 stores and have moved into your own production kitchen. Do you ever look back and think, wow?
CD: For sure. You make commitments along the way and that sort of shuts the door behind you and makes it harder to turn around. And each commitment propels you forward a little more, step by step.
DFWChild: How do you balance parenting and running a business together?
ED: The first year was a big adjustment period for both of us. For him, not being in an office and doing something on our own. And for me, him being at home and getting him more involved in the children’s routine because we’re now really 50-50. Figuring that out took some time, but now it’s a little more natural—he does bath, he does drop-off. I go to the parent-teacher conferences, and I’m the main caregiver post-school. We’ve figured out our roles, but it’s still not easy.
DFWChild: You’ve said Tepetán is like your fourth child. What do your kids think of the business?
CD: It’s interesting to have your kids see what you do and be able to relay it all the way through—you’re making something and then you see it at Central Market. For them to see that and see their parents work on something like that, I think it’s a good thing for them.
ED: It’s very much a family business. We went to do a demo at the Southlake Central Market a week before my due date with Theodore. I was massively pregnant, but I thought, this is a great marketing opportunity, I’m going to go with the girls and just take some pictures. But I ended up being up on my feet for four hours because I’m just too chatty. I kept going between the playground there with the kids, and back to Chris, just walking back and forth and bringing new customers over. I walked like three miles in Central Market that day, and then I went into labor 24 hours later!
DFWChild: What’s been the most challenging part of adding a third kid to the mix?
ED: With two to three, it’s the schedule. We have a newborn who needs to sleep for about 20 hours a day, and you’ve got to drop off, pick up, go to this game, a birthday party. Who’s gonna stay home? Who’s gonna drive? Managing the schedules has been the hard piece. And we’re more aware of how much what we’re doing needs to work, because now we have three.
CD: Yes, it raises the stakes a little bit.
DFWChild: What’s surprised you most about parenthood?
CD: In terms of their personalities, they came out almost fully baked. The nature-nurture thing—I think there’s much more nature involved than I ever thought. I know we help shape their lives, but jeez, these kids’ personalities are their personalities.
ED: For me it’s the constant—the all-consuming, mental load that comes with parenting, the part that you can never turn off.
DFWChild: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten when it comes to raising kids?
CD: Just spend time with your kids. It’s quantity of time—just be with your kids. When Lisette was born, I traveled all the time, but now running the business, I’m here with them. Even if I’m working, we’re still in the house together. That allows for a lot of little moments along the way.
ED: Sometimes older people will stop you at the grocery store and say, ‘Enjoy this time, you’ll miss it.’ I’ve really taken that to heart. I’ve learned to thrive in the chaos. So whenever it’s really overwhelming around the house, I just remind myself, I’m going to miss this.
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Top image courtesy of Elsa DeGroot
