Brandon Hurtado ('11 BA, Public Relations)

Tell us about yourself.
My name is Brandon Hurtado. I'm the owner of Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington, Texas, and I attended UT Arlington and graduated in 2011 with a degree in public relations.

Why did you choose to attend UTA?
I went to orientation at UTA just to see what it was about, because I wanted the option of staying closer to home. I just fell in love with the school. I fell in love with the people. One of the things that really helped solidify my decision to go to UTA was the relationships that I built with other students, before I was even a student. I went to orientation right after I graduated high school and met some people, and they just stayed in contact with me throughout the entire summer before I even started my freshman year. That was really important to me. They didn't have to do that. They didn't have to go that extra mile, but they did because they cared. They cared about the university, they cared about other students that were coming in, and I wanted to be a part of something that was as meaningful as what they were.

What did you study at UTA? What attracted you to that/those field(s)?
I'd started out as a business management major. I wanted to go into business, but that ended up changing several times over my college career. I met with counselors and advisors, and they helped determine that I'm really passionate about writing and I'm passionate about journalism, and that transformed into marketing and public relations. That whole experience kind of shaped the forefront of my career as a digital marketer and entrepreneur, which allowed me to open Hurtado Barbecue, which was really where my passion lies, cooking. But that marketing background, the education that I gained at UT Arlington, that's helped the restaurant stay alive through COVID, helped us gain new employees, helped us grow into three locations now, helped me open a bar in downtown Arlington. I feel like the possibilities that I have now are limitless, and it all started with my education at UT Arlington.

Describe your UTA experience. How did UTA help prepare you for your career?
Attending UT Arlington laid a foundation that my career has been built on. UTA helped prepare me for all of the different experiences and roles and challenges that I’ve overcome to get to where I am now. I don’t think that I would be where I am without the education, mentorship, and relationships that I’ve built while attending UTA.

What is your current professional position? What do you do in this role?
Hurtado Barbecue started as a passion project. Something that I started doing in my backyard just with a passion that I had for cooking, for grilling and barbecuing. It started out with a simple taco concept at a brewery here in Arlington. And that kind of transformed into us renovating a food truck and then opening a brick and mortar location about a year after that. So within a two-year period, we went from just cooking underneath tents, outside of breweries and distilleries to operating a full-blown brick and mortar restaurant, here in downtown Arlington.

What's one lesson you learned at UTA that has stayed with you still today?
When I first attended UTA, I was not an exceptional student. I was lost as many students are. I was a freshman going into a big university and had no idea what I wanted to do in life. I made some poor choices and didn't make the best grades. I actually got put on academic probation and had to leave UTA and go to another school for a little while until I figured out what I really wanted to do. When I figured out what I was passionate about, I came back to UT Arlington. I remember going to the vice provost’s office and I knocked on his door. I didn't have a meeting, and I told him, I know what I want to do. And he was like, “Who are you? What are you doing here?” And I was like, "I know what I want to do. Please give me another shot. I want to come back to UTA, I want to finish my bachelor's degree." After showing him the grades that I'd made at another, smaller, school, he gave me the opportunity to come back. And that's not something that he had to do. But that was one of the best decisions that I feel like he'd ever made. And it's emotional for me because that set the pace for the rest of my life. I was able to come back to UTA and I took 18 hours a semester until I graduated.

What message do you have for the next generation of UTA graduates?
You can go on to be a pit master or a restaurateur, and you can do anything you want to do. I feel like with the educators that they have at the university, with the relationships that you build with your peers and student bodies and your professors, you have all the tools that you need to truly be successful in life. I feel like that's something really special that UT Arlington has to offer.