SANDY Utah —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
The restaurant, which was opened in 1979 by Jose Chavez, is offering “more kinds of authentic Mexican dishes, such as the taco al pastor,” said his son, Daniel Chavez, who now runs the restaurant. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
Rafael’s also featured mole on the menu for the celebration, which is a “very traditional Mexican dish for festive occasions,” he said. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
The restaurant, located here, seats 170 and generates an average per-person check of $30. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
Among Rafael’s more popular standards are enchiladas, priced at $5.85 for one or $9.30 for two. The enchiladas are served with the restaurant’s homemade enchilada sauce, which is prepared with chicken broth as a base and includes peanuts and chocolate to add richness. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
Rafael’s also features several types of burritos, including a “Chile Colorado” burrito for $8.20. The Chile Colorado consists of diced pork in a spicy red chile sauce. It is served with rice and a choice of refried, black or frijoles charros beans. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
The restaurant is named after Daniel Chavez’s grandfather, Rafael, who operated his own restaurant, El Sarol, in the area after immigrating to this country from Mexico in 1947. Jose Chavez, Rafael’s son-in-law, worked in El Sarol for a number of years, and attempted to persuade Rafael to open more locations, but without success. So, with Rafael’s blessing, Jose and his wife opened up Rafael’s Mexican Restaurant in 1979. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
Even as the restaurant moves into its fourth decade, Daniel Chavez acknowledged the difficulties of operating a family-owned restaurant that specializes in authentic Mexican fare. “Some people are very attracted to a family-oriented, unique, one-of-a-kind-type of eatery,” he said, “but most people are not. Most people say they want something unique and authentic, but when it comes time to pull bills out of the wallet they will go with what they know—the chain restaurant or something in their cultural comfort zone.” —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
To appeal to this demographic, Daniel said Rafael’s serves dishes that consumers are familiar with “and little by little introduce them to other things they aren’t familiar with.” Enchiladas, chile verde, rice and refried beans are among the more “familiar” dishes that are offered at Rafael’s, he added. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
Reflecting on the restaurant’s long run, Daniel Chavez says tenacity is part of the “secret.” —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
“Working long hours and also a dedication to the family business,” he said. —To help celebrate its 30th year in business, the family-owned Rafael’s Mexican introduced a larger menu.
