Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Leon.
Hi Jose, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, how are you? My name is José León, I’m 41 years old, and I’m Mexican. Let me tell you, my story hasn’t been easy; it’s been a difficult journey. I came to the United States at 16 to work, to live the American dream, to try to have a better life. I started with nothing, just dreams and determination, and I began working in a family restaurant that allowed me to work. I learned as I went. It wasn’t easy, but I think the desire to get ahead motivated me, and I learned little by little. I arrived in the state of Virginia, near Richmond, and I was there for about a year. After that, other relatives opened a restaurant here in Maryland, in Walldorf, called Mexico Restaurant, and that’s where I spent most of my time. I had a little more experience. I started as a busboy, became a waiter, rose to assistant manager, and then manager. This has been quite complicated for me because of the language barrier, since I don’t speak English well; I don’t understand it very well. Sometimes it’s not easy to get ahead when you’re not in your own country, speaking your own language, with your own customs and all that. So yes, it hasn’t been easy.
After a few years, I married the sister of one of the restaurant owners, I think it was two or three years later. Then they offered me a chance to be part of the business, opening a new restaurant. This one opened in La Mar, and it wasn’t easy there because we made a considerable investment and, in the end, we didn’t see results, so we ended up closing the business after two years. I think a couple more years passed, and then my brother-in-law invited me to be part of another one. I accepted, and that’s the one that’s now Plaza México Fallston. And thank God, here we are. It wasn’t easy there either because it took us about three years to start seeing results. And thank God for the great community that surrounds us and has supported us. We’re still here, and as long as they continue to help us, we’ll keep striving to do things the best way we can. So, after those three years of struggling to see results, the following years have been a mix of ups and downs. Then the pandemic hit, affecting the entire world; it was something never seen before, and thank God, we survived. A lot has happened that sometimes makes you feel defeated, like you can’t go on, like you want to give up and take another path, but in the end, you breathe and think about it, for your family, for yourself too. It’s like a breath of fresh air you take to keep going, to keep moving forward. They will continue fighting and living the American dream, even though it’s not easy. After this restaurant in Fallston, four years ago—excuse me—we opened Plaza México, and thank God, we had an excellent response from the community. People have supported us. This past year has been a little complicated, I think. It’s been a general trend in all businesses, I think, because of the economy: a little bit of everything. I imagine sales were down a bit this year, though not by much. So yes, it was a bit complicated. Even so, here we are, here we are, fighting day after day to satisfy the community that supports us, the people who come to enjoy our food, our restaurant, to support everyone’s work, because we’re not just one person, we’re many, quite a few, and each one contributes their bit, and thanks to all of us we are where we are; we’re located between Plaza México, Fallston, and Bel Air, and about 30 or 40 people work here. Thanks to everyone who does their part, we’ll be here as long as God allows.
And now we have 9 restaurants, in which I am involved in 7 of them.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been an easy road at all, and I think my biggest obstacle has been the language. There have been many others, but I believe that has been one of the main obstacles to developing myself further and growing more as an entrepreneur.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The restaurant business is 100% family-owned. My brother-in-law started at the first Virginia restaurant a few years ago, and from there he gained experience, learned about the industry, and gradually opened new restaurants. Our business focuses on Mexican food. We have a very extensive menu of exclusively Mexican dishes. We have nine restaurants, all of which offer full service, including dine-in, a bar with a wide variety of cocktails, beers, and wines, and, of course, quality. We focus on maintaining fresh and healthy food and providing the best possible service to our customers. I believe that has been the key to our success: always giving our best and always offering fresh food. Because everything is prepared in our restaurants, nothing is bought pre-cooked. Everything is cooked 100% in our kitchens, and we always strive to satisfy our customers and understand their tastes. In addition, we offer happy hour specials, daily specials, and live mariachi music once a month. We have pleasant spaces to enjoy a good meal and a good margarita or a good cocktail.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is seeing our customers satisfied and enjoying our food, the ambiance, and the service. I’m so happy to see someone leave with a smile. I think that makes me very happy, and I’m also happy when everyone is happy, including the employees, because that way they do things better and diners have a better experience. I think when everything is going well, you feel delighted, and despite having had some bad moments over all these years, I can say that I feel happy, content with what we’ve achieved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://PlazaMexicoMaryland.com
- Instagram: plaza_mexico_belair
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076471323301
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/PlazaMexicoFallston
