Q39's director of operations brings his Ecuadorian heritage to Kansas City barbecue

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For Hispanic Heritage Month, we are spotlighting one of the people behind the scenes helping shape Q39.

Xavier Echeverria, the restaurant's director of operations, brings his Ecuadorian heritage and more than 30 years of experience in restaurant hospitality to the table.

John Batten

Echeverria came to the United States from Ecuador in 1994, completed his high school education in Lawrence, Kansas, and went on to build a career in restaurant hospitality that eventually led him to Q39 — where he has helped open two restaurants in less than six months, one in Lawrence and one in Lee's Summit. Now he oversees roughly 500 employees.

He said Q39's values align with his own.

"What Q39 is about is family," he said. "And to take care of each other, and our guests and our team. It just goes with my values."

Those values were shaped early. Echeverria said he learned the foundations of his work ethic at age 8 in Ecuador.

"When I was raised, I remember when I was 8 years old, the passion of my parents teaching me dedication, hard work, and to do the right thing. Do the right thing when nobody's watching."

He said his Hispanic heritage brings something distinct to everything he does.

"I think that we bring the energy, the outgoing personality," he said. "I think that we bring the party to everywhere we go just because of who we are. And I think that celebrating that is great. I think that we bring that. It's in our blood. It's in our DNA."

Patrick Peluso, Q39 executive chef and director of culinary, said Echeverria's impact is felt the moment he walks through the door.

John Batten

"Xavier naturally impacts every environment he walks into," Peluso said. "He'll walk into the restaurant, and he's giving high fives to the servers; he'll walk to the kitchen he's giving high fives to our cooks and our chefs. He's checking food quality with everybody. Xavier's engagement from the front to the back is second to none."

Peluso said the two work together daily to grow the brand while delivering a memorable experience to every customer.

"Every day Xavier and I get to work together to expand the brand, expand our culture, but deliver that craveable, that memorable dining experience to every single customer that comes through the door."

Echeverria said he hopes his story inspires others.

"I would like to inspire people of the things that we can do. Everything is possible. You have to have determination; you have to have drive and discipline."

Echeverria was first introduced to viewers of KSHB 41 in July, when he hosted a World Cup watch party at Q39 ahead of the Ecuador vs. Curaçao match.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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