Eagle Pass – Most days, downtown Eagle Pass lands a plethora of people thanks to the town’s proximity to the border. Just a few blocks from Mexico, folks traverse between our countries bringing business to both sides. One of the most popular stops in the Lone Star State for foreigners and locals alike is Eagle Grocery. “I remember getting in trouble all the time for stealing candy, and my grandfather would say, ‘Man, look at that guy taking some more candy off the shelf,’” said Jaime Rodriguez.
Jaime hasn’t checked out on his family’s legacy. He’s keeping Eagle Grocery flying high for people who prefer the feel of a small-town market. “I grew up in this store,” said Jaime. “It was started by my grandfather in 1938, so as a little boy, we’d walk into here and this place was huge to us. We’d come in here and sweep the floors and work in the meat market. And then my parents came into the business in I would think the early ’80s, and now here we are, I’m the third generation now that’s in charge of keeping the family business up and thriving in downtown Eagle Pass.”
You’ll find South Texas staples at Eagle Grocery like chili peppers, avocados, and a massive meat market. You’ll also always find Jaime’s parents, Benjamin and Angelica Rodriguez, still working the floor. “Both my parents are 80 years old and they still come to work every morning and they’re here all day long, Monday through Sunday,” said Jaime. “So they’ve set the bar high for someone like myself and especially for someone like my son who grew up in these technology ages. So a lot of times they’re the first ones here and they’re the last ones to leave.”
Jaime’s parents both played important roles when it comes to running a successful business, on the front end as well as the back. “My mom, she is, I guess the CEO, CFO, COO and anything that you’d like to call her, she’s got a knack for business,” said Jaime. “My dad has been shaking customer’s hands for as long as I remember, for the last 20 years. People come in and say hello to him every day as he walks through the door and he thanks him for the patronage and he walks him in and tells them goodbye and thank you on the way out.”
Another aspect of Eagle Grocery that makes it stand out is the ridiculous amount of racks they have hanging from the rafters. “1980s, our patron city in Mexico started calling us La Tienda Los Ganados because they would come in and everybody would see all the deers hanging on the wall,” said Jaime. “So they started referring to us as La Tienda Los Ganados, which is called the Deer Store. And it stuck.”
Each one of the mounts from as far back as the 40’s has some sort of story. “My grandfather had a great relationship with all the ranchers and we’re the only business in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, that would deliver groceries to all the local ranches here and in return for that, they’d give us access to hunt on the ranches,” explained Jaime. “So we grew up being able to hunt these whitetails before whitetails became a big business in Texas. My first deer that was killed with my grandparents, it’s somewhere up here. Then deers that I’ve killed with my sons are now hanging inside. A lot of Texans coming down here and hunt, and they come in and see the deers that we have in the store and they say, ‘Wow.’”
Bagging a big buck every winter isn’t the only family tradition at Eagle Grocery either. Turns out, this family is big into saying ‘Gig ‘em.’ “I went to school at A&M,” said Jaime. “My eldest son is a graduate of Texas A&M College Station. My second son is a graduate of Texas A&M College Station. My third son is going to graduate in May from Texas A&M in College Station, and my fourth son is in Mays Business School in Texas A&M College Station, graduate in 2024. So that’s a lot of us Aggies that are coming through there.”
While the country, state, and border have seen big changes over the years, Eagle Grocery remains the same. A family business dedicated to serving the community, enjoying the South Texas lifestyle, and catching a little Aggie football on Saturdays. “I’ve seen our business grow,” said Jaime. “I’ve seen our customers come in, and I’ve seen the love and passion my parents had, not only for this business, but for downtown Eagle Pass. And I told them, I said, ‘My goal was to make sure that this family business and their legacy continued to prosper.’ So when you think of downtown Eagle Pass, you think of Benny and Angie Rodriguez and the Rodriguez family and the business that we’ve created in downtown Eagle Pass. So it’s important for me to continue that legacy in our community.”