Q&A: Worcester couple serves up the flavors of El Salvador

After a lifetime of cooking flavorful, traditional Salvadoran food for their family and friends, Ana and Sal Garcia are pursuing their dream of a full-fledged restaurant, Mami’s Kitchen. The couple, married for more than 30 years, are hard workers who are committed to sharing their culture while learning how to run their own company. With the help of community entrepreneurial organizations such as EforAll Greater Worcester and Worcester Regional Food Hub, the restaurant has found a starter home in Quinsigamond Community College’s Main Campus Cafeteria and is making a big splash on their Mami’s Kitchen Worcester Instagram page. How did you get the idea for Mami’s Kitchen? Ana: In the beginning, the idea came from my kids. They think I can sell my food because they say it is really good. Sal: In those days, Ana was a housewife who was taking care of our three kids. My wife became a talented cook and learned to make the traditional dishes from our country, El Salvador. I was working at another restaurant, and I would tell customers they needed to try food from my country, and I would bring some of her food to them. We started off with just family and friends. Ana would make big batches of food, and I would be her delivery boy dropping food off across the city. Then I made social media pages for her to spread the word and over the years we developed a good line of customers. Everything in our lives seemed to be pushing Ana to think more seriously about her business. We applied for the Worcester Food Hub, and they chose us last year. It took us about 10 years to get here, but this is a great opportunity for our business. What makes your food unique? Ana: I make my food thinking it is for my kids, for the people I love. I make it with love. My food is always made from scratch. Like my chicharron, it is made with real pork, just pork and pork belly. Other places mix in other things to make up the difference, but everything we make is fresh and real. When my husband visited El Salvador, I sent him down with a big list of ingredients to bring back because I want people to try the flavor, the real flavor of my country. Which three menu items are currently the most popular at Mami’s Kitchen? Sal: Mami’s Kitchen was built around our specialty, pupusas. Pupusas have a lot of different ingredients and come in different flavors like pizzas. We mainly focus on the traditional version of pupusas which come from beans, cheese, pork, and sometimes loroco, which is an aromatic flower from El Salvador. It is very artisanal. But our three main sellers at QCC are our pupusas, our roasted pork dish called pernil with arroz con gandules, and our fried chicken sandwich which uses our own personal recipe. Our pink chia lemonade is also a big hit. Some people order seven at a time! You see people walking with glasses of our lemonade all over the QCC campus, and we make it fresh every day with real lemons. No fake juice! What's the future of Mami’s Kitchen? Ana: I was talking to my husband and my son, and we think a full restaurant is the next step. I want a place where we can share Salvadoran food and other different kinds of foods that we create. But I am taking my time because I want to be solid in my decisions. You have crafted this company over the past 10 years and are now taking classes to achieve your dream of business ownership. What are your proudest moments on this journey so far? Ana: I am proud that I took the opportunity to start my business. When I started to sell my food, I was not sure about what I wanted or how to start. But once I started the business programs, I started to learn. When you know nothing about business, it feels difficult, and it scares you. But when you're ready, and you have it in your mind, and you say, okay, I want to learn. If you already believe in yourself, you can do it. Sal: The moment that made me proudest is when Ana realized she could succeed, that she could do this. I am a chef, but I cannot make the traditional food she makes. She has a magic touch with food because she always cooks like she is cooking for our children. I was very happy for her the moment she realized she could develop her potential. This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Correspondent Sloane M. Perron.