Just two years after rolling down Central New York streets in her Mamacitas food truck, Sara Rius has made the leap to opening a new standalone restaurant in North Syracuse and finding herself busier than ever creating what she calls authentic Puerto Rican food “with a gringa twist.”
“I was a food truck for a while, but then my demand got so high, so I went from a very small tent to a trailer to a restaurant all within about two years,” said Rius.
Rius learned how to cook Puerto Rican food from her mother-in-law.
“I've been with my husband for going on 16 years, he is Puerto Rican. I’m not, I’m Italian,” said Rius. “When I met him, I didn't make much of anything, but I learned to love the culture, the food and his mom would cook in the kitchen, and I loved everything she cooked so I wanted to learn.”
Rius’ love for making Puerto Rican food continued to grow and it became her niche, she said. Predominantly she makes traditional Puerto Rican food, but she does like to put her own spin on dishes.
The restaurant business is a challenging one to be in right now and Rius says supply chain issues have been an obstacle.
“Supply chain issues are horrendous,” Rius said. “Even if you can find it, good luck trying to pay for it, it's the prices of inflation. Just trying to operate a business and make a profit, and when I say profit, I mean just paying your personal bills.”
Specifically, she has had trouble getting plantains, which are commonly used in Puerto Rican cooking.
Rius said staffing hasn’t been too bad for her at this time.
“While staffing is crazy bad right now, I do have family that works for me, and a couple of really reliable people behind me that helped me whenever I need it,” Rius said.
Rius said she has enjoyed creating a space where people feel at home.
“The most rewarding thing is seeing how many people are falling in love with the cuisine I cook and the reviews that I get saying I touched people’s hearts, that they feel like they’re back at their grandmother’s house in Puerto Rico,” Rius said. “On the hardest days, it makes me realize this is why I'm doing what I'm doing.”
Tonya Rosado-Barringer, a customer of Mamacitas, agreed that the restaurant reminds her of spending time with her mother and grandmother in their kitchen making meals together.
“I'm of Puerto Rican heritage, and food is a very central part of how we connect with other people and families,” Rosado-Barringer said.
The smells coming from the kitchen in Mamacitas are the same smells from her grandmother’s kitchen in the Bronx, Rosado-Barringer said. The scent of Sazon, beans, and the smell of arroz con gandules.
“It reminds me of home, and when I heard they were moving from the food truck into an establishment like this, I couldn't hesitate but come out here and it's been worth it,” Rosado-Barringer said. “The food is fantastic; a lot of love is put into it, and you can tell.”