He Was Ashamed of His Culture as a Kid — Now It’s His Whole Business

His grandparents fled Spain. His parents left Mexico. He grew up hiding it all. Chef Alex Villar, co-founder of The Cooking Clubhouse, was once ashamed of everything that made his family different — pig roasts in the backyard, loud dinner parties, and a Spanish-speaking home. But those exact cultural roots later became the blueprint for his business. In this episode, Alex shares how growing up between cultures shaped him as a chef, entrepreneur, and culturally fluid adult that he is today. Plus, stay for a special segment with Khadija Taylor, who breaks down the Spanish-inspired tablescape for this episode's Culturs Celebrations dinner. Topics discussed: 00:00 - Introduction 04:13 - Alex’s experience as a third culture kid 08:10 - Why his family really left Mexico 10:46 - Advice for anyone that grew up differently 13:10 - How his parents’ risk became his own 18:10 - The Cooking Clubhouse: concept and inspiration 25:39 - Finding his business partner and fellow TCK 27:33 - How living between cultures built his career 29:17 - Challenges of growing The Cooking Clubhouse 32:46 - The history and culture of tapas 34:25 - Inside the Paella experience and what’s in the Paella Kit 38:06 - The Spanish Dinner Tablescape 🔗 CONNECT WITH ALEX VILLAR: https://thecookingclubhouse.es/about-us/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH KADIJA TAYLOR: https://www.hosahomes.com/https://www.instagram.com/homeandsanctuaryllc/ ABOUT CULTURS: Reaching millions annually, Culturs champions unique cultural identity, transforming culturally fluid populations (multiethnic and/or geographically mobile people like Third Culture Kids) from being invisible outliers to originals. This includes people of culture in the rapidly growing DNA testing-fueled Not Parent Expected (NPE) community. Our world-class, veteran team of researchers and professionals spans five continents. Get social with us: https://www.youtube.com/@CultursPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/Cultursmag/https://www.facebook.com/cultursmaghttps://www.pinterest.com/cultursmag/ Join the Culturs community: https://shop.cultursmag.com/products/culturs-membership Original Music by Tommy McMillion, McMillion Entertainment Makeup by Sedrique Olsen Styling by Sonja Henderson