Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Garcia Franco.
Miguel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started with all of us three brothers, Rafael, Miguel and Alfonso. We had all been working in the restaurant industry. All of us were cooks for a restaurant. Eventually, Alfonso became a senior kitchen manager and Miguel became kitchen coordinator for the chain restaurant. They both focused on opening different restaurant locations all over the nation.
After 13 years, we decided to start our own business. We went into the same industry that we were already working in, the restaurant industry. We opened our first location in June 2007 in Aurora CO. It was a very small, six tables and a countertop. Many people would consider it a hole in the wall, but it was our restaurant. No matter how small, it was our small restaurant. We named it Taqueria Los Gordos. For the first year and a half of the business, we kept our jobs and ran our restaurant simultaneously until the restaurant became profitable. It wasn’t until a year and a half later that we received our first paycheck from our company.
In October 2008 we decided to open our second location, Los 3 Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant in Lakewood. We changed the name to Los 3 Garcia’s to reflect us, Los 3 Garcia’s that started the business. Eventually, it was more Garcia brothers. Seven in total. Our family worked hard, and together, we were able to build our family business. We would not be where we are today if it were not for every single one of our brothers. We are the brothers, we are the business, we are the 3 Garcia’s. All seven brothers are the 3 Garcia’s.
Slowly but surely, we grew. At times, it was hard, but as a family and as siblings we knew we had to continue. In March 2012, we opened our third location in Conifer. This leap was huge for us. It was going to be the most expensive location for us. It would cost us what the other two locations combined did. It was a risk, but a risk we knew we had to take because if we truly want to live the American dream we had to dream bigger. Conifer is really where our business propelled and changed our lives and the success of our business. It is what leads us to consider buying.
After five years, in 2015, we started looking for another location, and in 2017, we found our dream location in Arvada. It is the only waterfront location in the Denver metro area. It is a beautiful two-story building that overlooks the water. In June 2017, we signed all the paperwork and it became our building.
Looking back at where we started and looking at where we are, it’s hard to believe that we built a business that took close to two years to receive our first paycheck, to now owning a lakefront building that has our business name on the front.
We believe that the American dream is possible for everyone. You have to be patient, work hard, be dedicated and believe in your product. People might look at us and think we are an overnight success, but it took us 12 years to be that overnight success. It also took a family that is dedicated and united. Seven brothers, 12 years and many struggles in between, today we can look back and see Taqueria Los Gordos still the same it was over ten years ago. The same menu on the wall, same tables, and the same original photos. We can fast forward 12 years and now we are the owner of a building on a lake. When people say anything is possible, we are proof that anything is absolutely possible.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first two years of the business were the toughest. We had to keep our jobs working 60 hours a week while running our restaurant and working for free. For the first year and a half, we did not receive a paycheck from the company. Most people would have quit at this point, but we believed we would be successful.
Los 3 Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We have Mexican food restaurants, a total of three locations. We have locations in Aurora, Conifer, and Arvada. They range from small locations that hold 96 people in our Aurora location to Conifer that holds 200 to our location in Arvada that holds up to 300 people with a private room to hold events.
Our restaurants specialize in authentic, made from scratch Mexican food originating from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico where our family is from.
We are known for our delicious molcajetes, which are mortar and pestle dishes filled with our cactus leaves, fresh sauces, and meats. It will come out boiling to the table and remain hot throughout your entire meal. Our customers also love our tacos arrieros which are authentic to our restaurants because they are made in the town we grew up in. No other restaurant has them. Finally, we cannot forget tortas ahogadas, the original torta that you will find in the city of Guadalajara. All of these dishes are a must try at any of our locations.
As a company, we are most proud that we stick with what we know we are good at. It’s easy to follow trends, to try and create what is popular for the moment. What’s hard, is to see the trends and what is changing and be able to adapt, but also continue doing what you do best. We have many people who try and tells us what to do, but at the end, as a company, we have to do what is best for us long term, and sometimes that is not the most popular thing to do.
We believe what sets us apart from others is our authenticity. Our authenticity in our food, in our locations but most importantly in our relationships with our customers. Many customers are surprised that they will usually find one of the brothers at any location at any given time. It has always been important for us to be involved day to day with our restaurants, our employees and our customers. This connection is what has helped us to succeed.
We are extremely proud that we currently have 60 employees and a few of them have been with us since we began. Our growth has been steady but it has allowed us to continue to employ more and more people.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
We have two, and we don’t know which one is better. The first is our first sale as a business. To this day, we still have the first $20 bill that we received as payment for food. It is pinned in our office at Los Gordos. It is a reminder of beginnings.
Our second proudest moment has been the purchase of our waterfront building. Most people didn’t think we would be able to afford it. When we came to look at the property, we were ignored and overlooked. Mostly because we didn’t look the part of successful business owners. However, from the moment we walked into the building we really liked the property. We didn’t know what is was going to take to buy it, but we knew we would do whatever it took to make it our property. That’s exactly what we did.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5175 W. 68th Ave
- Website: www.los3garciasrestaurants.com
- Phone: 303-412-2144
- Email: 3garciasbrothers@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Left of Frame – professional food photos only
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