By Kathleen Furore
Weathering the challenges of Covid-19 was something every restaurant faced. But for Fiesta Tapatia in Granger, Indiana, the pandemic was only the beginning of two years filled with obstacles to overcome.
In April 2021, just as the restaurant was beginning to rebound from the Covid shutdown, owner Rodolfo Quiroz and Manager Pati Quiroz discovered — in a quite roundabout way — that the building in Mishawaka, Indiana that had housed Fiesta Tapatia for 20 years was being sold to make way for a 7-Eleven gas station and convenience store.
As Pati told The South Bend Tribune in April 2021, a customer had heard the restaurant would be displaced and asked her where Fiesta Tapatia planned to move.
After confirming the news, the search for a new location began. Rodolfo and Pati decided on a shuttered retail space a few miles away in Granger, even though it would require a complete renovation and higher rent. Plans were underway to move in in December 2021, when a new obstacle hit: a water leak forced Fiesta Tapatia to abandon its original location months before the Granger space was ready. Then construction problems at the new location delayed the move even further.
“There were several times where we just wanted to give up and forget about starting all over again,” Pati says. “We kept running into problem after problem once we found out we had to find a new location in such a short period of time. But we knew everything was happening for a reason — we just had to wait and see what that reason was.”
And there were positives that lifted the team’s spirits during the ordeal.
“We truly never realized the great customer following we had until we were closed for 10 months,” Pati says. “Our customers kept us going. Seeing those daily messages from customers telling us how much they missed us, how much they missed our food — all of their encouraging messages helped us stay motivated to keep going. We are truly blessed with some of the most amazing customers.”
Tackling New Challenges
While business has been great — a full house many nights — there have been many challenges since Fiesta Tapatia’s Grand Opening on March 14.
As Pati says, there’s no sugar-coating the situation.
“Moving into Granger we knew some people were going to be happy and others were not going to be happy. Some customers have said the move to Granger has gone to our head with the price increase on our menu,” she says. “I think we can all agree everything has gone up in price. We don’t want to change the quality of our food therefore we had to increase our menu prices... It’s been a little rough.”
There’s been a struggle “since day one” to find enough employees to meet the pent-up demand from customers who had been waiting for 10 months to enjoy their favorite Fiesta Tapatia dishes.
“The first few weeks we were extremely busy. We pretty much have all new employees, and we are all getting used to this new location,” Pati says. “Our kitchen staff was the most understaffed the first few weeks. Fridays and Saturdays we were having to close for two hours in the afternoon to help the kitchen staff catch up and take a little break. Being short staffed was not what our customers were accustomed to. Some customers wouldn’t understand why we had to close for two hours, but we had to look out for those employees and be fair with them. With a bigger location we need three times the employees we had at our old location.”
Many customers, however, expressed concern and support.
When posts on the restaurant’s Facebook page announced it would be closed for two hours, customers were encouraging and kind: “That’s great management — valuing the needs of your employees which will ensure a smooth and pleasant visit for your guests” and “Everyone wants to see you succeed. Do what you must until you can get fully staffed. We will wait,” two comments said.
After almost two months in business, things are moving ahead. Pati stresses that employees are working hard every day to be able to give the best possible service, and that the Fiesta Tapatia Cantina will be opening as soon as the restaurant’s 3-way liquor license is approved.
“We can’t wait for customers to come in and enjoy a Margarita with their meal,” says Pati, who offers this advice to other restaurateurs facing what might seem to be insurmountable obstacles in today’s challenging business climate.
“Things are rough for us restaurant owners with inflation and the lack of employees,” Pati says. “My best advice is to stay positive and motivated. I hope things get better for us all soon!”
Kathleen Furore is the editor of el Restaurante magazine. Reach her at kfurore@restmex.com