![]() We’re really lucky to have a giant support system. What is it like to be part of a family business?Ī. Her answers were edited for length and clarity. Maribel Avila now manages around 120 employees at the three restaurants she runs.Īvila sat down with the Register to discuss working with family and what she has learned growing up in the business. It grew to include a patio and was completely remodeled in the 1990s. ![]() When the restaurant first opened, it was small with just eight employees. The restaurant is known for dishes like Mama Avila’s Soup, which accounts for 40 percent of sales, and “grandmother approved” dishes like the carnitas. “Seeing my mom and dad so involved and the love and passion they had for the restaurant, well, I just fell in love with the restaurant and taking care of it, too,” she said. The Newport Beach location, at 2800 Newport Blvd., which is celebrating its 40th year, was founded in 1975 by Maribel Avila’s father, Sergio Avila, in a former fish market. “They’re extending the brand and furthering and strengthening it in the region,” he said. Randall Hiatt, the president of Costa Mesa restaurant consulting group Fessel International, said it is “relatively rare” for restaurants to be operated under the same name but be completely independent. Around 40 Avila family members, across three generations, are involved in the business. They all share the same basic menu items. Each is individually owned, operated and financed by eight family members. In the ensuing years, one restaurant became 11. In 1966, they opened their first restaurant, which was “a bit of a taco shop” with a few picnic benches, according to Maribel Avila. The popular Mexican restaurant group was founded after her grandparents Salvador Avila and his wife, Margarita, came to the U.S. “I just remember being here all the time as a kid. Now the 27-year-old manages three El Ranchito locations owned by her parents, including the family’s standout location in Newport Beach. Her first unofficial job at her family’s restaurant, Avila’s El Ranchito, came at age 4, when she handed menus to customers. ![]() The restaurant business runs in Maribel Avila’s blood.
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