THE PEOPLE BEHIND 1836.

Joey Eguia is a restaurant executive and entrepreneur with extensive experience in operations, franchising, restaurant development, consulting, and strategic growth. His education includes The University of Texas at Austin. He serves as President and Principal of 1836 Brands, LLC, as well as Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner of Fajita Pete’s Franchising, LLC.

Through 1836 Brands, Joey and his partners own and operate La Viva Tex-Mex and Zalat Pizza locations throughout the Houston market, while also leading the Texas development of Twisted Egg Shack. His background includes operational and strategic consulting for brands including Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen, Los Cucos Mexican Cafe, Salata, The Kolache Shop, and The Teahouse.

Joey began his entrepreneurial career at age 27 as a Cici’s Pizza franchisee. He later founded Bayou City Wings and owned and operated Wings N More restaurants across Houston. His operator-first perspective continues to shape 1836 Brands’ approach to building strong teams, developing restaurants, and creating long-term growth.

Collins Orr is a Principal of 1836 Brands with a background spanning commercial real estate, restaurant development, franchise ownership, and strategic growth. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Collins brings a real-estate-driven perspective to identifying strong markets, evaluating sites, and developing restaurant concepts for long-term growth.

His restaurant experience includes work with Golden Chick, Zalat Pizza, La Viva Tex-Mex, and Fajita Pete’s. Collins was also part of the 1836 Brands ownership group that developed Golden Chick restaurants in the Houston market, giving him hands-on experience at the intersection of real estate, construction, development, and restaurant operations. Public records and industry coverage also connect him directly to commercial real estate and restaurant development activities in the Houston market. LinkedIn
Through 1836 Brands, Collins now helps guide the company’s growth strategy, including its Texas development partnership for Twisted Egg Shack. In 2026, 1836 Brands signed an agreement to oversee development of more than 60 Twisted Egg Shack locations across Texas, with Collins’ commercial real estate and restaurant-development experience cited as a key part of the partnership. QSR Magazine

His approach combines real estate discipline with restaurant ownership experience—helping 1836 Brands evaluate opportunities, secure strong locations, develop new restaurants, and build a portfolio positioned for sustainable growth.

Eddie Gernert brings more than a decade of restaurant leadership and culinary experience across fine dining, fast casual, restaurant ownership, and concept development. His background includes experience at Le Vacher in Dripping Springs, serving as Corporate Chef for Fajita Pete’s, and leading Talespin Pizza as Chef and Co-Owner.

Under his leadership, Talespin reached profitability within eight weeks of opening and earned recognition from the Houston Chronicle, including Best Bites of 2025 and inclusion among its Top 100 Restaurants in Houston.

A graduate of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and a certified ServSafe Instructor and Proctor, Eddie focuses on building strong culinary systems, developing teams, and protecting quality as restaurant concepts grow. At 1836 Brands, he helps support scalable operations while preserving what makes each concept distinctive.

Ana Alvarenga is a seasoned hospitality leader with more than 20 years of experience creating exceptional guest experiences, developing strong teams, and driving successful restaurant operations.

Throughout her career, Ana has built a reputation for leading by example and bringing people together around a shared commitment to hospitality and excellence. Her experience spans team development, hiring and training, operational leadership, scheduling, inventory and cost management, and guest relations.

At La Viva Tex-Mex, Ana plays an important role in building the culture behind the brand—supporting her team, strengthening operations, and ensuring guests experience the warmth and hospitality that define La Viva.

Bilingual in English and Spanish, Ana believes great restaurants are built on great people, genuine relationships, and a team that takes pride in creating memorable experiences for every guest.

Brittany Struchen is a Multi-Unit Area Coach with Zalat Pizza, leading restaurant operations and team development across the Houston market. With more than a decade of restaurant experience, she has worked across front-of-house leadership, kitchen management, training, and multi-unit operations.

Brittany is passionate about developing people, building strong teams, and creating practical systems that help restaurants perform at a high level. Her leadership style centers on coaching, accountability, and giving team members the tools and opportunities they need to grow.

At 1836 Brands, Brittany helps strengthen Zalat’s Houston operations while supporting the people and systems behind the brand’s continued growth.