César Cervantes Tezcucano

He graduated summa cum laude in 1991 in Hospitality Industry Management from Fort Lauderdale College, in Florida, United States.^[4]

Until June 2014, he developed and directed the restaurant chain Taco Inn, considered the largest Mexican food chain in the country, with 177 outlets in eight countries. He also developed other international brands and franchises such as Alpen House and TETE, and was a franchisee of Domino's Pizza.^[5] He was twice awarded Restaurateur of the Year by the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (CANIRAC). Among other distinctions, he received in 2012 the Mont Blanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award.^[6]

He has been a member and vice president of various restaurant industry associations, such as CANIRAC and the Mexican Restaurant Association. In the cultural field, he has been an advisor to Tate Modern (London), the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA, New York), and the New Museum (New York), as well as the Museum of Modern Art and the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil.^[7][8]

He is currently^[when?] a member of the Advisory Council of the Conservatorio de la Cultura Gastronómica Mexicana (Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture), through which Mexican cuisine was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.^[9]

Between 1990 and 2015, he promoted a comprehensive cultural project that included the creation of a contemporary art collection, considered one of the most relevant in Mexico and internationally.^[10] At the same time, he founded a library specialized in contemporary art, residency programs for artists, publishing initiatives, and scholarship programs to foster culture.^[11][12]

In 2014, he created the Fundación Cultural Tetetlán,^[13] focused on promoting social causes and preserving cultural heritage, traditions, and the environment.^[14][15]

The foundation's headquarters is located next to Casa Pedregal, a work by architect Luis Barragán,^[16][17][18] and one of eleven heritage architectural works that the foundation has restored.^[19] The space integrates multiple initiatives: a library and sound archive^[20] with more than 25,000 volumes, body awareness center (yoga, qi gong, meditation), an organic restaurant, biodynamic coffee bar, workshop and residency for artists, as well as a store that promotes the traditional work of more than 70 Mexican and international artisans.^[4][21][22]