El Tiempo's executives grew Ninfa's into a 43-restaurant chain, then built El Tiempo from a single location in 1998. The third generation of the Laurenzo family now leads the kitchen.
Born in Houston and raised in the Second Ward, Roland grew up working in the family tortilla factory on Navigation in the East End. A St. Thomas High School and U.S. Naval Academy engineering graduate, he began his restaurant career in 1973 helping his mother run the original Ninfa's, grew it to 43 restaurants by 1993, and founded El Tiempo Cantina in 1998.
Houston-born and trained at Culinary Institute Lenôtre, Domenic co-founded El Tiempo with his father and has shaped its look, feel and flavor since day one. Mama Ninfa's grandson and heir apparent, he serves as Chief Executive Chef and President-successor, leading the menu, training and the company's growth.
A Naval Academy classmate of Roland with a master's in industrial engineering, Lee rose to CFO of Rio Star Corporation, parent of Ninfa's and Atchafalaya River Café, and secured the funding behind Ninfa's rapid expansion. After 17 years as an executive vice president with a Denver-based executive outplacement firm, he rejoined Roland in 2013. El Tiempo has since more than doubled in size.
A University of Houston mathematics graduate who grew up playing organized sports with Roland, Froilan served as Ninfa's Director of Operations from 1975 to 1998. He now runs El Tiempo's restaurant operations hands-on while training the next generation of operating leaders.
Few restaurateurs build one enduring Houston brand. Roland has built two.
Born in Houston, Roland was raised in the Second Ward and spent his youth working in the family's tortilla factory on Navigation, in the heart of Houston's East End. After graduating from St. Thomas High School and the U.S. Naval Academy, where he focused on engineering, he joined his mother, Mama Ninfa, in 1973 to help run the restaurant that would introduce fajitas to the country.
Over two decades he expanded Ninfa's into 43 restaurants across Texas and Louisiana. In 1998, driven by his passion for exceptional Tex-Mex, he opened the first El Tiempo Cantina on Richmond Avenue and built it into the Laurenzo Restaurant Group.
Roland is recognized for his community involvement as well as his business. In 2021 he was named Community Honoree at the Illumine Celebration benefiting AAMA, the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans.
“If you are working on great food, you are doing the right thing.”Domenic Laurenzo
Much of what Houstonians love about El Tiempo, from the anafre platters to the handcrafted dining rooms, traces back to Domenic's creative vision and the recipes handed down by three generations of the family.
Serve and treat every guest as you would your grandmother on her 80th birthday.
More than 800 people across administration and operations, with decades-long employee tenure that reflects the company's culture and values.
Daily sales, bi-weekly labor, weekly food-cost and monthly EBITDA reports keep every restaurant accountable.
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