I’m Doing this, He Thought. I’m Meant to be Here.

He recalls the exact moment when he shared the idea to open a Oaxacan restaurant in LA with his friends and family in 1993. “They all thought I was crazy.” Every single person doubted him, telling him things like “Who is going to eat Oaxacan food in Los Angeles? You are going to lose all of your money.”

Or his favorite: “Why don’t you just open a burger place instead?”

His response to all of them? “It is going to be Oaxacan food whether you like it or not, and, if it fails, so be it. I would be happy to return to Oaxaca knowing that I tried.” He was following the advice given to him by his brother before he passed away: “Never let anyone take advantage of you just because of where you come from. You have to go and expand your horizons by living in a big city and follow your dreams. Open your eyes to the world and learn how to stand on your own two feet. Don’t ever take no for an answer.”