A new Mexican restaurant owner in Columbus wants to offer something for everyone
The owner of a new Mexican restaurant hopes his diverse menu appeals to a wide range of customers in Columbus.
Miguel Gonzalez opened Fiesta Mexican Bar and Grill at 4475 Warm Springs Road on Oct. 11. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Gonzalez lived in Fort Valley before moving to Columbus, he said through a translator. He used to work in landscaping before he spent 14 years working in the kitchen of other restaurants. Gonzalez found a passion for cooking during these years.
Tired of working for other people and only earning a minimum wage, Gonzalez began saving his money to open his own restaurant. He wanted to show people that it’s not just about opening a restaurant, but about having love for the food and love for what you did, said Fiesta employee Brandon Arce, translating for Gonzalez.
When Gonzalez was ready, he looked for the perfect place to open his restaurant. After finding the Warm Springs Road location, he quickly bought it and moved to Columbus.
Nestled in between Vizionz Master Barbers and DivinePersonalitees Boutique, Fiesta provides a casual dining experience. Gonzalez became good friends with one of his previous employers who helped give him ideas about the decor of his restaurant.
The color scheme, teal and orange, came from conversations with his friend. The artwork featuring Mexican images and symbols that hang around the restaurant were collected over time with the intention of being displayed in the restaurant.
Along with his friend, Gonzalez leaned on his wife, Lidia, who was his main support system during the process of starting his business. He opened Fiesta for her and their two children, Ani and Juan Miguel, Arce translated.
Authentic Mexican food
Gonzalez also works as the cook at Fiesta, Arce translated, and his recipes do not stray very far away from what most people expect at a Mexican restaurant. However, Gonzalez does like to play around with the recipes and seasonings that he uses.
“If you love your food — if you love what you do — it’s how the food comes out,” Arce translated. “If you don’t like what you do, it comes out in the food.”
He likes cooking for his customers because he knows what the quality of the food should be like, and when Gonzalez cooks, he knows the food will come out the way he intended.
Gonzalez wants customers to know that when they come to Fiesta, they will be served authentic Mexican food. The tortillas are handmade, Arce translated, which is something that not a lot of other restaurants do.
The large menu offers typical Mexican food like fajitas, chimichangas, enchiladas, flautas and tacos. But customers can also order seafood soup, catfish, Philly cheese steak and ribeye steak.
Even if something isn’t on the menu, Arce said, if a customer has taste for something — like shredded chicken with cheese dip — they can tell their server and Fiesta will get it done.
“(Gonzalez) wants people to walk out of here with a smile on their faces,” he translated. “If they come inside with a problem, they can try the food and leave with a smile.”
When Gonzalez is cooking food at Fiesta, he feels proud because he knows he built this business for himself, Arce translated. There are plans for the restaurant to host events and karaoke parties, Arce said. Fiesta is also in the process of getting a license to sell alcohol.
“As long as God wants it,” he translated. “And as long as he works for it, (success) is going to happen.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
