Cenovia Davila isn’t afraid of challenges or hard work — she’s had plenty of both throughout her life.
She had to learn English and U.S. culture at 9 when her family immigrated to Texas from Mexico. She worked her way from H-E-B sacker to floral manager, a position she held for 20 years. Then, while juggling a full-time job and family, she went back to college to finish her bachelor’s degree.
Now she’s hit possibly her highest bar yet: She and her husband Julio have taken on co-ownership of the men’s formal wear store Suit City, which she also manages. She knew nothing about owning a men’s clothing store when she made the leap to business owner, but she talked herself through the jitters by determinedly giving it her all, like everything else she’s ever done.
“I made a conscious decision to believe in myself,” she said. “I reminded myself that I could do this. I knew that my experience, determination and perspective could turn a challenge into an opportunity.”
Random question: Cenovia is a beautiful name but one I haven’t heard before. Where does it come from?
It was my grandmother’s name on my mom’s side — which makes it incredibly special to me. Out of six daughters, I’m the only one who got the ‘weird’ name. But over time, I realized it wasn’t strange at all; it was intentional. It was chosen with purpose.
Cenovia carries legacy. It carries strength. It carries history. The name reflects my family’s roots: rich traditions, strong matriarchs, deep faith and a culture where family is the center of everything. It’s pronounced Sen-OH-vee-uh.
You and your husband co-own Suit City, which you also manage. Tell me about its new location on La Salle.
[My husband and I] knew it was the right move to take Suit City to the next level. The business had been operating from Austin Avenue since 2010, way before we came on board.
Moving to our new La Salle location in January this year was a bold step — one that made us nervous, but in the best way. Suit City already had a long and meaningful history when my husband and I came on as co-owners [with a silent partner], with me as manager, in 2022.
The business began in the mid-to-late 1980s in the Austin area, later expanding with a couple of stores in Killeen, and eventually establishing a presence in Waco. Today our La Salle location is the one remaining store in Waco, continuing a legacy that has endured for nearly four decades, including surviving the challenges of the Covid pandemic.
Let’s back up, though — what has your career and educational path been like?
Right out of high school, I started working at H-E-B as a bagger, like every new store employee. One Valentine’s holiday, the floral department was short-staffed and they pulled me in from checkout that week. That week changed everything. To my surprise I discovered I had natural talent, and soon they asked me to work regularly in the floral department.
Over the years, I worked in a variety of departments: the business center, photo lab, produce — I even ran the front end as an assistant store manager. Each area taught me something valuable that stayed with me: organization, detail, teamwork under pressure and leadership skills.
H-E-B provided training and clear processes to help me grow into a strong manager. Eventually, I completed their School of Retail Management [SORM] and became a floral manager, where I spent the majority of my H-E-B career.
I returned to Tarleton State University in 2017 to complete my bachelor’s degree in business, a goal I had long set for myself and one I was determined to achieve for both personal growth and my family. Earning my degree gave me the confidence, knowledge and perspective to take on new challenges and opportunities in the future.
Did earning your business degree change anything for you?
I realized that I wanted to put my business skills and knowledge into action. H-E-B gave me a strong foundation in processes and leadership, and for that I’ll always be grateful. But I had always wanted to run a business and after 25 years with them, I was ready for a new challenge — a break from flowers and the opportunity to explore something different.
My husband and I considered starting a floral business but hesitated because of high start-up costs. Ultimately I felt a pull towards a fresh path, one that would allow me to apply my leadership, management and business skills in entirely new ways.
How exactly did you come to co-own and manage a men’s formal wear business?
It came about unexpectedly. I was still at H-E-B when the previous owner of Suit City reached out. We had met years earlier when I did floral arrangements for his church. He asked if I’d consider taking over the business and my response was that I knew nothing about suits. But he trusted my leadership experience, ability to manage teams and experience building workable processes.
I hadn’t planned on running a men’s clothing store, but owning a business had always been a goal of mine. In 2022, my husband Julio and I officially became co-owners of Suit City. Since then, I’ve focused on growing the business, leading a talented team and bringing fresh energy to a store with decades of history, applying everything I’ve learned over the years in a completely new way.
Tell me more about the dynamic of being a double minority: a Hispanic woman.
It definitely felt like two uphill climbs — being a woman in a traditionally man’s business, and being a Hispanic woman on top of that. Early on I felt like I had to prove myself to customers in a way a man might not. Some customers want a man to help them; that’s natural. But I’ve learned that excellence and professionalism can break through preconceived notions, and over time that trust builds strong customer relationships.
How did you learn more about the business as you started out?
I was determined to learn the ins and outs of the business, so I learned how to do alterations. Now I can get behind a sewing machine to do your pants hem or leg taper, waistband or whatever. We have contract seamstresses, including one who does women’s alterations. But I can jump in in an emergency. I would love to be able to sew more; it’s therapeutic to me. But my time is just really limited, so when I get to sew I consider it a break.
What about the management part of the job?
I worked all of the local H-E-B stores through my 20 years in management with them. When you have that many years, you get floated around and I got a lot of managerial experience. I do miss having a big support team — that’s gold. I used to ask my leaders at H-E-B for advice. Now tag, I’m it! I’m the one who has to problem-solve, put out fires and deal with customer issues. But everything has both challenges and rewards.
So Suit City is all men’s clothing?
It’s almost all men’s formal clothing and accessories like belts, ties and shoes. We did just introduce little girls’ formal dresses sizes two to 12 at the grand opening on La Salle in January. We sell chambelanes suits, the male corte de honor [court of honor] for a girl’s quinceiñera. We also do guys’ formal wear for weddings, prom and other occasions.
So much of Hispanic business culture is about building relationships. Tell me about that.
Yes, that ties in closely with our Latino community. I speak our customers’ language — both literally and figuratively. I’m fluent in English and Spanish because my siblings and I went to school in English, but the rule at home was to speak Spanish.
I’m originally from Mexico, and came to the U.S. as a young girl. My mom, who still isn’t fully comfortable in English, would have us translate for her at the grocery store when we were little. I was probably 9 the first time she had me argue over a coupon at the register while a line of people waited. I didn’t mind — I just wanted to help my mom. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of what it feels like to navigate between languages, and it shaped the way I connect with customers today.
One of my goals is to connect more deeply with the Hispanic community. It’s about more than selling suits — it’s about building trust, making customers comfortable and helping them look and feel their best. It’s about more than service; it’s about respect, understanding and connecting in a way that truly feels like home.
Tell me about your family of origin and your family now.
I’m from Zacatecas, Mexico, and one of nine kids. I was 9 when my family emigrated to Texas, and I grew up near Waco. To this day, we’re still a pretty close-knit family. My husband Julio is also from Zacatecas but we’re both naturalized American citizens now.
I’m proud both of my Mexican heritage and of being a U.S. citizen. Julio and I have been married for 20 years. We have four kids. Justin (28) is on his own but the other three live at home — José Julio (20), Anthony (17) and Isabella (8).
How did your childhood as an immigrant mold you?
Growing up as a minority in a new country wasn’t easy — we faced language barriers, cultural differences and times when opportunity felt completely out of reach. I never imagined I could even take advantage of the possibilities this country offers, much less run my own business.
But those challenges taught me resilience and determination. Today I carry both my heritage and that work ethic with me, using them to build a business and create a space where everyone feels understood. When customers have a language barrier with English, I can switch seamlessly to Spanish. That small shift makes a huge difference with clients — their whole demeanor changes and they immediately feel comfortable and understood.
What are some of the things people might not know about Suit City?
Alterations for both men and women are a big part of our business and many people don’t know that we do them even on clothing not bought at the store.
Our large stock of men’s formal clothing and accessories is another one. Baylor students come in a lot with alterations, because they’ll rip their pants or whatever, and they won’t know where to take them. When they come into Suit City for alterations, they’ll often buy something while they’re there.
What support systems do you have?
Sometimes I’ll reach out to my former H-E-B leaders since I worked there for 25 years. I can be like, ‘Hey, I’ve got this going on with my bookkeeping. How do I do this?’ We’re also members of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and they’ve been really supportive.
My biggest support is my husband Julio — he and I are in this together. He really balances me. I’m sort of the visionary, and he’s the one that gets things done. He’s had to keep his full-time job for us to make this happen but he’ll literally do what’s needed at the store. And our kids are so supportive of us and the business.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
My dad always said (though in Spanish): ‘Don’t be nickel-wise and a penny-foolish,’ reminding me to focus on the big picture. He always encouraged us kids, reminding us that we could succeed with hard work and dedication no matter the challenge.
I also had a vendor who said, ‘OK, you’re gonna make mistakes, but only make a mistake once; learn from it and don’t do it again.’
Where did you get your strong work ethic?
My family, particularly my father, instilled the value of hard work in us: rolling up our sleeves, staying committed and never shying away from effort. That mindset has stayed with me throughout my life, guiding me as I’ve navigated new paths, taken risks and turned challenges into opportunities.
Many of my values were also shaped working at H-E-B, where integrity was central to everything we did, a principle I carry with me to this day. Another key value was that every customer matters and is to be treated with respect.
These principles guide how I run Suit City, how I lead my team and how I connect with our customers — making sure everyone feels valued, understood and supported.
What have been your biggest challenges?
Time management is always a juggling act: being a mom and a wife, keeping the house running, cooking, attending school events and running the store. Balancing it all isn’t easy, but having the teamwork of my family makes it possible — and keeps me grateful.
Accounting in general has been a challenge I’m still working to master. I had to learn QuickBooks on the fly, which resulted in many nights watching YouTube training videos. Every day is a learning experience, but it’s all part of making the business run smoothly while keeping my family life on track.
What do you do for fun?
Honestly it’s just spending time with my family, with maybe a little road trip somewhere. A night out dancing with my husband is a night of fun. Julio loves to dance — that’s how we met. I look forward to April for his birthday; we always go dancing.
Where do you get your strength and energy from?
Oh my gosh, that’s hard to answer, because sometimes I feel like I’m doing the same thing now that I was doing 10 years ago and at the same level. I know I’m not, though. I feel like this [business] has to go right for my family because it’s our livelihood. I get strength knowing that I give it my all every day so that we have a successful outcome. Some days are harder than others, but we’re all in to make it a success.
How do you think your family and friends would describe you?
They probably think I’m stubborn — and maybe I am. But I like to call it persistent. If I say I’m going to do something, I do it. I just refuse to quit until a job is done. A customer needed her pants altered recently, and I took them to her house. She said, ‘I love your get-it-done attitude.’ I thought, ‘Finally, my stubbornness has a purpose!’
What’s the most satisfying part of your job?
When customers share photos from the event they wore their suit to. Hearing that they received compliments on how they looked makes me feel like we did our job — helping them look and feel their best at an important time in their life. It reminds me of my time in floral at H-E-B, when customers would show me pictures of our floral arrangements at their special events.
Now, that same joy comes from seeing how our suits helped make people’s special moments memorable. Knowing we played a part in their celebration is incredibly meaningful to us.
