Mary Buxton
Mary Buxton, El Toro Mexican Restaurant
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Editor’s Note: The hardest working people in your restaurant are probably the managers, and el Restaurante’s Manager of the Year program has honored hundreds of the best managers of Mexican/Latin restaurants since it started in 2016. We thought it would be interesting to see how some of the early winners are doing. This is what we learned! Click here to read about two other managers we profiled in the previous issue.
Mary Buxton, 2020 Winner: Still Loving Her Job
John Mayes, El Toro Mexico Restaurant’s vice president of operations and pastor, said Mary Buxton treats her employees extremely well when he nominated her for Manager of the Year in 2020: “She has a very motherly and caring love for her staff in the FOH and BOH and carries a huge amount of respect and admiration,” Mayes wrote.
That description of her remains true today.
“I pride myself on being the leader of my restaurant while also being the easiest person to talk to,” says Buxton, who is still the general manager of the Palestine location of El Toro, which has six locations, all in Texas. “My employees not only look to me for guidance at work, but in other areas of life as well. From helping with info for a first-time car buyer, parenting questions, how to file taxes, and so much more. I want to be a positive light for my team, and I hope that my influences help them now and later on down the road.”
Buxton made her mark at El Toro during COVID, when she deftly managed the staff through the crisis and expanded her location’s to-go and delivery operations. As evidence of her people skills, Buxton’s management team from the COVID era is still entirely intact.
“After COVID, so much changed for restaurants in almost every area of operations,” she says. “It's great to work for a company that listens to the front line, rolls up their sleeves, and works with us to make El Toro a success in this industry!”
It sounds like Buxton will be helping El Toro succeed for many years to come: “I plan to stay with this awesome company for a very long time. I’m very happy with my position, and don’t have any plans to change it up.”
Jesenia Rivera, 2021 Winner: Hoping to Own the Restaurant Soon
When we interviewed Jesenia Rivera in 2021 after she was named Manager of the Year, we asked her what her future plans were. She said, “Since I have all this experience, it would be nice to open my own little spot. I would like to take everything I’ve learned and apply it to a small business I could call my own.”
Jesenia Rivera
Well, that dream may not be too far in the future. Rivera, who has worked full-time in her family’s restaurant, Los Magueyes, for about 10 years, currently co-manages Rancho Los Magueyes, the second location of the restaurant in Upland, California.
“I work alongside my brother, Gustavo, and we both run the restaurant in different capacities,” she explains. “He focuses on running the restaurant itself, dealing with employees and vendors, bartenders, everyday sort of things. I work as a server but am responsible as well for paperwork, payroll, bills, renewing city/county permits, licenses, etc. We are planning on buying the restaurant from our father, possibly next year. Of course, since he’s our father, hopefully the sale price won’t be too bad! Lol”
In anticipation of becoming an owner, Rivera, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California-Riverside, has been researching business loans and the process of transferring ownership. She also has been taking classes at the Small Business Development Center at Cal State Fullerton.
“They provide free workshops for small business owners,” she says. “I recently finished a seminar on negotiating leases, and it was a huge learning experience. Honestly, I felt a little lost, so I need to take more classes to really start grasping information.”
Since her brother is co-managing the restaurant, and they have a larger staff than in 2021, Rivera has been able to enjoy a fuller personal life, she reports.
“Since I have taken more of a behind-the-scenes position, I have way more free time to vacation. I have taken a few trips to Vegas, Santa Barbara, Orlando and recently went on a cruise,” she says. “So, I’m trying to enjoy life and have fun with my partner of seven years. Also doesn’t hurt that he’s a travel agent, so we are taking advantage of all the perks!”
Click here to read about two other managers we profiled in the previous issue.
Click here to go to the next article, A Colorful Take on Tortillas