Mixtitos Kitchen, a struggling restaurant in Dallas, has a glimmer of hope after a week of strong sales.
Owner Jose Luis Rodriguez said: dallas morning news Last week, it was announced that the restaurant would close by the end of May 2024 if the number of customers does not increase. Buoyed by a group of passionate neighbors who want to see Mixtitos succeed, the restaurant saw a 50% increase in sales last week compared to the week before, and Mixtitos is expected to remain open until at least the end of 2024. ing.
“I'm feeling chills right now,” Rodriguez said. “That's a miracle.”
The restaurant serves Mexican-Japanese fusion cuisine in a shopping center on the corner of Grand and Samuel streets, just off Interstate 30. Perhaps a tough location, but Rodriguez plans to open his dream restaurant there in 2022, drawing inspiration from his half-Japanese wife and his own upbringing in Tampico, Queretaro, and Juarez, Mexico. He took full advantage of this when serving traditional dishes.
Rodriguez worked at Bistro 31 and Charlie Palmer and was a manager at Enrique Tomás in Dallas. He still works as a server at Jose's in Dallas on weekends to earn money for his family. He hasn't received a salary since Mixtitos opened.
The restaurant had been seeing a small but strong group of customers in recent months, but Rodriguez needed more business to keep it running. East Dallas resident Manuel Zaby and others hosted a dinner for about a dozen people to spread the word that Mixtitos needed help.
On Cinco de Mayo, Rodriguez participated in a cooking contest on KXTX-TV (Telemundo Channel 39). He won “Best Taco” and featured menu items like cheesy chicken tacos and carnitas.our dallas morning news In a May 6, 2024 article, he shared Rodriguez's story with another viewer. Readers were surprised to see Japanese shepherd's pie and vegetable tempura on the same menu as fajitas, creamy chicken pasta, and burgers.
Mixtitos is a family-run business, and Rodriguez needs more help now than ever. His eldest daughter makes desserts and the teenager stays at home with his youngest. His sister-in-law washes dishes so the kitchen can keep up with demand. In fact, she graduated from SMU with her doctorate in education and left her cap and gown in the trunk of her car a few days ago to help out at a restaurant.
Ten days ago, Rodriguez said his restaurant was like a garden, but “there are no butterflies.”
Now they're flying in, he says.
Mixtitos Kitchen is located at 2706 Samuell Blvd., Dallas. We are open all year round.
