SAN ANTONIO – For the second year in a row, the Cowboy Breakfast will officially kick off the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo festivities.
The Jan. 24 Cowboy Breakfast will mark the first time the event has been held on the fairgrounds by the Freeman Coliseum and Frost Bank Center.
For decades, the breakfast was held in front of Cowboys Dance Hall as the unofficial start to the rodeo.
One thing has always remained the same — who preps and cooks the food. For years, St. Philips College Culinary students have been the heart behind the event.
Chef John Munoz, an instructor at St. Philips, has worked the breakfast as a student, volunteer and now as a teacher.
Students gain fast-paced catering experience, Munoz said, as they have to prepare over 15,000 tacos in one night.
“This is a great opportunity for the students,” he said.
Over the years, Munoz said the rodeo has donated millions of dollars to the St. Philips culinary program.
Tyler Rangel worked the Cowboy Breakfast last year, and he said even though it was an adrenaline-filled day cooking for so many people early in the morning, it was all worth the experience.
“They were like, ‘Here, you’re going to come in at midnight and you’re going to work till 9 a.m. and you’re just going to be cooking for people,‘” Rangel said. “And I love cooking for people. I love seeing their faces when they’re eating.”
Thousands of people are served at the breakfast — so just how much food is prepared?
The answer: 475 pounds of chorizo, beans and bacon, 15,000 tortillas and 23,000 eggs.
The Cowboy Breakfast doesn’t just serve up thousands of free tacos; more importantly, the event provides $15,000 in scholarships to St. Philip’s College Culinary students every year.
“School is not necessarily the cheapest thing to take on, especially when you’re coming right out of high school,” said Anthony Cubit, a second-year culinary student. “So to know that the community’s behind you and give you that support and trying to help and raise money to help you achieve your goals and your dreams, you know, I think that really means a lot.”
The Cowboy Breakfast will take place Friday, Jan. 24 at 5 a.m. outside the Frost Bank Center next to the Freeman Coliseum. The event is free and open to the public.
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