EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A downtown El Paso chocolate shop served as the backdrop for a conversation about how one local food-and-business reviewer turned a personal loss into a growing platform.
Ruben Alvarez, known to many followers as “Brand Shark,” talked about what led him to start making short-form reviews highlighting restaurants and businesses around El Paso while visiting Ish Cacao.
Alvarez said the idea was encouraged by a friend, John Hernandez, who he described as widely known in the city. Alvarez said Hernandez repeatedly urged him to start a podcast as a way to connect with business owners and help build business.
Alvarez said he had tried podcasting before but found it required extensive planning and execution, along with figuring out distribution and how to get people to watch. He said he believed he could accomplish something similar in a shorter format, describing it as “a mini podcast.”
Alvarez said Hernandez died about a month before he began making the videos, and that he started soon after. He said the biggest obstacle at first was going public and “putting myself out there.”
He also reflected on filming at Ish Cacao about a year ago, saying he initially felt self-conscious recording outside with traffic and people nearby, but that he no longer feels uncomfortable doing it.
Alvarez said his background helps guide what he features, noting that his degrees are in culinary. He said that experience influences what he orders and what he chooses to highlight, and that he turns down some requests from businesses.
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“There are a lot of places that reach out to me, and I say, hey, you know what? I don’t think that this is gonna do very well because we need some sort of an angle. We need something that’s gonna be special,” Alvarez said. He added that, especially now, people are spending money on fewer things and are looking for items that are “very special, beautiful, different.”
Asked what he looks for, Alvarez emphasized “different and unique,” pointing to Ish Cacao as an example of an artisanal offering that can fit multiple occasions.
He described it as an option for holiday gifting and birthdays, and as something memorable for someone trying to make an impression on a date.
Alvarez also said he doesn’t believe the decision comes down to price. “And so it doesn’t come down to price. And that’s what I think people are looking for,” he said, adding that he also considers how memorable an experience will be.
During the visit, the host sampled a piece identified as “churro cajeta,” reacting positively and calling it “amazing chocolate” while showing its layers on camera.
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