In a town laden with Mexican restaurants, a local couple are
trying to differentiate themselves by concocting savory dishes that
will
”
enchant
”
their patrons and lure them back for more.
Ruben and Rosa Valencia recently opened their restaurant
”
El Encanto,
”
which means enchanted in Spanish. The restaurant is a
combination of a sit-down dining experience and a taqueria (fast
take-out service) wrapped into one.
In a town laden with Mexican restaurants, a local couple are trying to differentiate themselves by concocting savory dishes that will “enchant” their patrons and lure them back for more.
Ruben and Rosa Valencia recently opened their restaurant “El Encanto,” which means enchanted in Spanish. The restaurant is a combination of a sit-down dining experience and a taqueria (fast take-out service) wrapped into one.
The concept is to cater to people who want a full-service meal and those who want a quick fix in the form of a taco or burrito from the taqueria, Ruben said.
“There’s a lot of Mexican restaurants here, I know that,” he said. “But everybody has their own styles of food when it comes to prepping, and we have breakfast. Most Mexican restaurants don’t really offer breakfast here.”
Ruben, who has been married to Rosa for 16 years, decided to open the restaurant because it was a life-long dream of his wife’s. He took two months off from his local job at Royal Circuit Solutions to open the business.
“This is my first business and my first experience,” Rosa said. “I feel good because we have been open three weeks and we are doing good – people tell us they like the food.”
Rosa worked as a chef in many different places throughout the years and is now able to bring her own recipes, seasonings and dishes to the public.
“We’re bringing in a taste from very deep in Mexico,” Ruben said. “The food definitely has to be as authentic as possible and most of the people we have talked to are very happy with all the food.”
The idea of opening the restaurant had been in the works for about a year when they decided to go for it, Ruben said.
When the building became available, the landlord worked out a good lease with them and they began working on putting everything together.
“It was very scary,” he said. “Because the person who knows how to cook is my wife, I figured that we would have a much better chance of making it because she would be teaching everyone else how to do things just right.”
One of the most challenging aspects of getting the business started was dealing with the copious amounts of paperwork and permits, Ruben said.
“Anybody that opens up a restaurant, now I know what they go through,” he said. “It’s not easy and it’s a lot of work.”
Through the stress, huge work load and grueling hours, the final product is worth it. Watching Rosa manage her own restaurant is one of Ruben’s biggest accomplishments, he said.
“I got something that my wife was dreaming of for many years,” he said. “I’m proud just seeing that she’s happy – that she is finally able to have her own little restaurant.”
Being away from her three children has been tough, and at first Rosa wasn’t sure if she could handle the stress and responsibility of managing a restaurant, she said.
But being her own boss and doing what she loves has made the transition easier.
“Every day I do better,” she said. “I do everything – paperwork, calls, orders, food – and it’s a lot. But if I have customers I will be here. I can do it and I feel proud of that.”
El Encanto is located at 696 Fourth St., and is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
