When Leo (pictured) and Alexa Vazquez opened their Cuban-influenced Mexican restaurant in Plymouth in September, it was the realization of a long-time dream. Leo Vazquez has worked in the hospitality industry since he was 16 years old and met his wife when he joined a Mexican restaurant in Bristol in 2017 as an assistant manager when she was the general manager.
Over the past six years of marriage and starting a family, they saved money and scouted locations in Plymouth for a restaurant of their own. The pandemic forced Leo to take a second job as a 911 operator, but he knew that was not his passion. “Clearly our hearts are in the restaurant industry, and our passion is in the hospitality industry and making people feel happy,” Leo says.
When the pandemic led to the closing of a long-time seafood restaurant in Plymouth, the couple jumped at the chance to bring the flavors of their heritage (Leo’s parents emigrated from Cuba, and Alexa is from Mexico) to the town. They bought the building in June and spent three months renovating.
In September, the couple launched La Familia Mexican Bar & Grill. “We’ve had a full house ever since and have a waiting list,” Leo says. “We have a strong following from customers who turned into friends and then turned into family. They know us and our [three daughters]. It feels like we are in a big family, and everyone comes over every night.”
La Familia, which employs 25, doubled its initial monthly revenue projections, and Leo expects will be even busier come summer when it will open outdoor dining on a patio. “It’s been surreal. When my wife and I sit at the bar and do nightly reports, many times I look at her and I’m trying not to get emotional, but I just can’t believe it. We’ve been through so much in last six years and a lot of challenges, but we stick with it and worked hard, and when we sit at the bar I say I can’t believe this is ours.”
Current Issue - April 2024