When Rick Ippolito launched his pasta sauce business after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he credited much of his success to a fellow Lambda Chi Alpha Brother Jose Juarez (Florida State ’87.)
Juarez wasn’t just a helping hand. He was a spark. Though the two had only known of each other during their time at Florida State, decades later, their bond as Brothers brought them back together. When Ippolito reached out for advice on getting his family recipe to market, Juarez didn’t hesitate. He opened his doors, his expertise, and his heart.
“That’s thing about relationships, you could not talk to somebody for 30 years, and then it’s like, ‘Hey man, how you are doing,” Juarez said. “You pick up right where you left off.”
By then, Juarez had already built a career within the food industry. After an early dream of criminology was detoured by a car accident, he found a new path in the automotive industry, rising to national sales manager roles before launching his own business, Victory Solutions. Later, he would spin off in a few different directions, helping dealerships and businesses modernize the way they sold to customers.
But cars were more than just his career; they were a lifelong passion that brought people together. Juarez’s earliest Brotherhood memories include parking his 1971 convertible GTO outside Lambda Chi Alpha tailgates, the trunk packed with ice to double as a cooler. Even now, he spends weekends restoring classic Trans Ams with Brothers like Joe Clementi and hitting the road for long-distance driving tours across the country.
Along the way, another constant companion was his wife, Kelly, who has been by his side since their first date at a Lambda Chi event back in 1983. Together, they built a life rooted in faith and family, a partnership that plays a major role in launching their business ventures.
Those ventures weren’t without risk. Juarez remembers walking away from a stable corporate job, with a family to support and only a vision in hand. He poured everything into his new ideas, relaying solely on faith and determination to carry him forward.
When he wasn’t under a hood, Juarez was behind a grill. His love of BBQ started as a hobby but grew into something much more. In 2015, Juarez entered the “Live with Kelly and Michael’s America’s Next Grill Star” contest. Out of hundreds of entries, he was selected as a finalist for his original Cuban-inspired Mojo Mustard BBQ sauce and pressed ribeye burger, famously named “The 455” after the engine in his GTO. America voted him the winner, earning him the title and a cash prize (which he ended up using to launch his brand, BarbaCuban Foods).
Juarez’s Cuban roots, his love of American culture, and his years of backyard cookouts all came together on the national stage. The contest wasn’t just about flavor, but rather the heart he put into it all. The brand’s name, BarbaCuban, blends his heritage with his love of American BBQ.
“It was a ‘God thing.’ There’s no other way I could have made it happen,” Juarez said.
It was something bigger than just sauce. It was about using every platform he had in life, led by the values he had learned through Lambda Chi Alpha: entrepreneurship, leadership, and Brotherhood.
When Ippolito began developing his sauce, it was Juarez who helped him navigate the world of FDA approvals, test batching, and launching his brand into new markets. He even inspired Ippolito’s spicy marinara version, after joking that the first batch needed a little extra heat.
For Ippolito and Juarez, Brotherhood wasn’t something that ended at graduation. It was a lifelong oath, one measured not just by meetings or memories, but by the moments you set up for someone else when it matters. Today, the two remain close, exchanging cases of their sauces. It’s not about competition; it’s about shared dreams and paying them forward within the Brotherhood that shaped them both.
“There’s plenty of room for everybody,” Juarez said. “In business, in life, you lift others up when you can. There’s no shortage of success if you share it.”
Looking back, Juarez said the road wasn’t always easy. He faced setbacks, financial risk, and tough moments of uncertainty. But to him, fear was never the enemy.
“Don’t be afraid. My father-in-law always told me, ‘They can’t eat you.’ Everything else is OK,” Juarez said, laughing. “You work hard, you stay faithful, you serve who you are, and good thing will happen.”
To this day, Juarez continues to mentor entrepreneurs, offering advice and encouragement based on his own winding path. He’s passionate about helping the next generation of leaders see value not just in success, but in purpose.
To Juarez, success isn’t about a title or trophies. It’s about the lives you touch, the risks you take, and the people you choose to lift. In every mile he’s traveled, from restoring Trans Ams to flipping burgers to rebuilding old dreams, Jose Juarez carries the same fuel. Faith, resilience, and a Brotherhood that never left him behind.
To learn more about Jose’s work and his sauces, visit barbacuban.com or follow @barbacuban455 on IG and @455sauce on Facebook.
