Could Larnaca finally have proper Mexican food? I need your honest opinion.
A few months ago, I made a post on this Reddit because I was going through a very difficult period after arriving in Cyprus.
Many of you replied with advice, shared your experiences, and gave me words of encouragement that completely changed the way I saw things.
Thanks to that, and thanks to the affection and appreciation I developed for this island, I kept trying. Over time, I managed to recover some clients. Since then, I’ve been able to travel back to Madrid for work, and little by little I’ve started generating income and finding new business opportunities.
So, before anything else, I just wanted to say thank you. It may sound silly, but some of your comments genuinely opened my mind.
Now I’m back with a completely different idea, and I’d really like to hear your opinion. Sorry guys, I’m an entrepreneur—I love ideas and new projects—so you’ll probably see me sharing some of my latest ideas in different posts… anyway, let’s continue.
For quite some time, I’ve been talking to many people, both locals and foreigners, and there’s one phrase I keep hearing over and over again:
“Larnaca needs a really good Mexican food place.”
That got me thinking.
Before moving to Cyprus, I lived in Madrid for almost 10 years. As many of you know, I’m from Venezuela (and yes, the earthquake situation has been difficult). During my first two years in Madrid, I met two Mexican chefs and ended up working very closely with them. I learned a tremendous amount about Mexican cuisine, eventually became the kitchen manager in one of their restaurants, and later opened my own burrito business using everything I had learned about cooking, processes, and marketing. Eventually, I transferred the business to someone else (Spain is not the best place for entrepreneurs), but the whole experience taught me an incredible amount.
As a Latin American, our cuisine has always been a big part of my life.
My idea is very simple. I don’t want to open a restaurant right away or make a huge investment. First, I want to validate whether there is actually a market.
I’m thinking about preparing food from home one day a week, only through pre-orders.
For example, one weekend I would offer authentic Mexican food, and the next weekend authentic Venezuelan food, all homemade, using quality ingredients and traditional recipes. The idea would be to promote the menu during the week, collect orders in advance, and only cook what has already been ordered.
If the response is positive, then I’d consider taking the next step by looking for funding, partners, etc., and eventually opening a small place focused mainly on takeaway and delivery.
What really excites me is sharing my culture, our flavors, and introducing authentic Latin American food to Cyprus.
So I’d really like to know what you think:
Would you order this kind of food?
What do you honestly think about this idea?
Which day do you think would work best: Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?
Would you prefer Mexican food, Venezuelan food, or both?
It could be one Mexican weekend, one Venezuelan weekend, and later maybe even Peruvian food.
Is there any Latin American dish you especially miss in Cyprus?
Any opinion, criticism, or suggestion is more than welcome.
Thanks, my Reddit Panas!
By the way, it would be in Larnaca. I didn’t mention the city.