Fort Worth-area paleta maker takes home H-E-B grand prize — and wins shelf space

It’s not quite a Michelin star, but a Haltom City company offering authentic Mexican ice cream and desserts scooped up the grand prize in H-E-B’s 13th annual Quest for Texas Best competition. 

Sol Dias Ice Cream, a family-owned Mexican ice cream company founded in 2020 by Victor and Stacey Garcia, took home the grand price of $50,000, along with placement on H‑E‑B shelves for the company’s fruit paletas. 

On Oct. 8, the finalists pitched their products and shared the stories behind their businesses before a panel of judges selected by H‑E‑B in San Antonio. On Friday, H‑E‑B named the winners of its 13th annual Quest for Texas Best, celebrating five standout small businesses and the Texas-made products set to earn a highly coveted spot on the grocery’s shelves. 

Sol Dias was selected from a record-breaking 978 entries representing more than 500 companies statewide. The five top companies selected will share $110,000 in cash prizes, with grand prize recipient Sol Dias earning the title of Texas Best. 

“Texas entrepreneurs bring bold ideas and exceptional products to communities across our state,” said James Harris Sr., director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity for H‑E‑B. “Because H‑E‑B began as a small business, we understand the difference that meaningful support and access can make. Through Quest for Texas Best, we are honored to champion these innovators as they take the next step in building their businesses and reaching more customers.”

Victor Garcia, co-founder and CEO, learned the art of paleta-making from his entrepreneurial parents, bagging their wares as a boy, and built Sol Dias around the sweetness of their hometown: Mexticacán, Jalisco, considered the birthplace of paleta. Lengthy churning and a handful of real ingredients give every bar its creamy texture and big fruit chunks. 

In a 2021 Fort Worth Report story on Sol Dias, Victor Garcia talked about his decision to start the business. 

“There are about 150 paleterías (in DFW) which are the main carriers of Mexican ice cream, and only (about 30%) of those make their own,” he said. “We’ve tried them and feel like they’re sacrificing quality. Our long-term goal is to change the tide to really authentic Mexican ice cream available to all in the U.S.”

Sol Dias has locations in Haltom City, Watauga and Irving with a site in north Fort Worth set to open soon. 

Other honorees announced were: 

• First place: ($25,000) La Fregona, an artisan seasoning and salsa company in Bastrop. 
• Second place: ($15,000) Hive Food Co., a honey manufacturer based in Houston. 
• Third place tie: ($10,000) Dean & Peeler Meats of Floresville. 
• Third place tie: ($10,000) Uncle Marc’s, a specialty food supplier in Glenn Heights. 

In addition to the top four winners, H-E-B surprised the remaining six finalists each with $5,000. 

Since the program began in 2014, more than 1,000 Texas-made companies and products have been evaluated and judged by H-E-B. Nearly $3 million in prize money has been awarded to the companies, complemented by marketing support, mentoring and opportunities designed to help small businesses scale. 

H-E-B, which has sales of more than $50 billion and operates over 450 stores in Texas and Mexico, has made a big push into North Texas in recent years. It recently announced it is planning a new store in southwest Fort Worth, the latest in a string of new sites for the grocery chain that has become a Texas cultural phenomenon.

Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected].

Disclosure: H-E-B is a contributor to the Fort Worth Report. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.