Inspiring Conversations with Mercedes Lopez Duran of El Granjero Mexican Grill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mercedes Lopez Duran

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I always wanted to be a teacher growing up. After finishing middle school, I was not able to attend high school and stayed home with my grandmother to help raise my younger siblings. Years later, once I was married and with one child, I started working in restaurants to support my family. With no experience or education, managers would only place me in the kitchen washing dishes. As a result of my curiosity, I began to observe other cooks at their jobs, attempting to learn and help them whenever possible. It wasn’t long before I discovered my passion for creating recipes and cooking. My knowledge of the restaurant business diversified into a variety of food offerings, service types, and cuisines as I became more familiar with the industry. Once in Grand Rapids, I also started working at a restaurant as a new job in the area, it was called Tacos El Ganadero. I worked there for 2 years helping the previous owner to improve the menu and also added micheldas and margaritas since he had a liquor’s license. Then he announced he was going out of business; that’s when I knew I could start my own restaurant and decided to take over to save the jobs of the employees there. With the help of my daughters, the restaurant was rebranded to El Granjero Mexican Grill and we integrated a new and fresh menu highlighting offerings from Mexico City featuring Nopales (cactus) and added other Antojitos such as sopes, tlacoyos, and enmoladas. Thanks to the support of the community, we have been open for 17 years and over $12 million in revenue.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning a restaurant can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. From beginning to being well established, a restaurant operator can run into issues such as high operating costs including rent and utilities to food and labor, the expenses can add up quickly. Issues finding and retaining quality staff is a major challenge; high turnover rates can disrupt operations and impact customer service constantly. Inventory management is crucial to ensure we have enough stock without over-ordering can be tricky. Inventory waste and theft are also concerns. Regulatory compliance can be overwhelming. Navigating health codes, safety regulations, and other legal requirements can be time-consuming and stressful. Today we find that many people start restaurant-like operations from their home without any of these strict regulations and it’s becoming more concerning every year. Attracting new customers and keeping regulars coming back requires continuous marketing efforts and exceptional service and food quality. The current economic fluctuations and inflation can significantly impact customer spending and restaurant revenue like it did during the pandemic, which we are grateful to have survived. Competition is hard. Standing out in a crowded market with many dining options, especially for Mexican food, requires innovation and a unique value proposition. Despite these challenges, I continue to run my restaurant fulfilling, especially when I see happy customers enjoying our authentic Mexican food and family-friendly atmosphere.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Established in 2007, El Granjero Mexican Grill is committed to serving the most authentic Mexican food, with innovative dishes from the Mexico City region while using local and fresh ingredients in Grand Rapids. At the restaurant, El Granjero team strives to always provide fast and friendly service. Our catering services deliver high quality food and service to make any corporate luncheon or private event a breeze! El Granjero values community involvement through sponsorship and donations to many of our local non-profits. In the last 17 years in business, El Granjero has received a number of awards including EPIC Minority Business of the Year by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Business of the Year by the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Best 100 Restaurants in Grand Rapids by the Grand Rapids Magazine, and Top Women Owned Business Honoree by the Grand Rapids Business Journal; and Brilliant Entrepreneur of the Year by West Michigan Magazine.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
It’s critical to build your village. Owning a business, especially a restaurant, is something you cannot do on your own. I value my team members, and we have always been like a little family. I believe that taking care of your employees is necessary for maintaining a safe and trusting workplace. I am also thankful for the community among other restaurant owners because we support one another and offer knowledge and even resources to ensure everyone does well. While the pandemic made our industry vulnerable, our network shared information to access tools, safety supplies, and assistance grants that allowed us to remain open. I always look for ways to support new businesses to succeed. Also important is to always continue learning and look for ways to improve your processes. Our businesses can be automated with the help of technology, which allows us to do more of what we enjoy and what we do best. Lastly, belonging to the community is critical to becoming a local favorite by supporting causes with sponsorships and donations. We are intentional about the growth of the neighborhood and participate in efforts like the Westside Community Clean up and most recently sponsored the youth soccer league at Las Canchas near downtown.

Pricing:

• Lunch bill per person $14-$16
• Dinner bill per person $18-$22
• Catering bill per person $16-$30
• Take-out bill per person $10-$14

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elgranjeromexicangrill.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_granjero_gr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100060721615860