Why restaurants, and why Rome?

A look at the surprisingly high number of Hispanic-owned eateries in town

by Brittany Strickland

Maria Garay, co-owner of Vallarta Taqueria

ROME, Ga.—“Why did I open my restaurant?” asked Maria Garay, co-owner of Rome’s  Vallarta Taqueria, repeating the interviewer’s question. “For money.” 

Alex Perez, owner of the Mexican restaurant La Conquista, had a similar answer.

“I saw how much money the guy I was working for was bringing in through his restaurant, and I thought, if only I could do that. So, I did,” he said.

Vallarta Taqueria in Rome serves Mexican food, specifically from Puerto de Vallarta, Mexico.

Rome’s cost of living is nearly more than 9% below the national average, compared to metro Atlanta’s cost of living that is barely 1% below, according to Forbes magazine. This favorable disparity might be one reason for what seems at least anecdotally to be a concentration of Mexican and Hispanic-themed restaurants in the area.

These entrepreneurs face challenges over and above those associated with simply opening up a new business. Topping this list is language.

Blanca Lopez, right, translates for Maria Garay, owner of Vallarta Taqueria.

Though she has lived in Rome for 15 years, Garay says she knows little English.

Before opening her taqueria, Garay spent her time working in the kitchens of other restaurants in Rome. The majority of the cooks she worked with were Hispanic, so she never had an urgent need – or help – to learn English.

“Go to any restaurant in Rome and you’ll likely find Hispanics making up the majority of the kitchen staff,” Perez said.

Family a draw

Garay first came to Rome because her daughter and son-in-law moved here. She and the other owners of the store, Luis Castillo and Martin Domingo, felt Rome would be a good location for the business because there were no other authentic taquerias in the area, she said.

Alex Perez, owner La Conquista

Perez said he came to Rome by following in his father’s footsteps.

His father moved to Rome from California to work at a chicken factory. Over 25 years ago, Perez left Mexico to come to Rome, to re-join his dad. In his time here, Perez has seen Rome’s Hispanic population more than double.

According to the latest published data from the census, Hispanics make up 16.5%  of Rome city’s population . However, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in Rome is so low that it registers as “S” for “supressed.”

Mexican staples like tomatillo sauce, salsa verde and pico de gallo are served with every meal at Vallarta Taqueria.

Georgia was one of the 10 states to more than double their Hispanic populations in that same time span, and out of the 10 fastest-growing Hispanic counties in the nation, three are in the Georgia:

            – Stewart County
            – Telfair County
            – Paulding County

Food as culture

One thing all of the Hispanic business owners agreed on is that the food practices they brought with them are essential parts of their culture.

Perez said he named his restaurant La Conquista because it means the conquest.” Just as Spain brought its influelnces to the United States through Columbus, “I wanted to bring mine to Rome,” he said.

Food is a way for many Hispanics to connect to home.

The owners of El Venado said they had may reasons for coming to Rome.

Amanao Aguilar and Silvia Salam of Guatemala own and operate the authentic Guatemalan restaurant on S. Broad St.

“The houses and rent are just cheaper here,” compared to other popular locations for Hispanic immigrants,” Aguilar said. “My friends said this was a good place to try because the Hispanic population is good. I’ve had friends here for 15 or 20 years ”. 

Education for his kids also was a big motive for coming to Rome.

Amanao Aguilar, co-owner of El Venado

I came here hoping they could have a better education here than from where I’m from,” he said.

Aguilar, Salam and children, Ashley, 9, and Jonathan, 7, are the owners of El Venado and its only employees.

“We don’t make enough money to hire others,” Aguilar said. 

But Aguilar and his wife say they plan to stay at least until their children are grown.

“We may go back when they are 21, but we want them to grow up here,” said Salam.