Expanding from Strafford, Mexican restaurant brings family recipes to downtown Springfield
On Friday, a new Mexican restaurant will open its doors to downtown Springfield. El Paraiso, located in the former Lost Signal Brewing Company building at 610 W. College St., is a family-owned business that started in Strafford.
The success that owners Flor Aragón and Mario Cruz saw in Strafford led them to open their Springfield location.
"We have lived here for 20 years, that is one of the reasons why we wanted to expand here. We began in Strafford and are very grateful for the Strafford community … and thanks to the Strafford community’s support, we can rise to other places. Thanks to them, we can now open here in Springfield," Aragón said in an interview conducted in Spanish and translated for this story.
More: Photos: New restaurants that opened in Springfield in 2022
The Springfield restaurant will have the same menu and items as the Strafford location.
"We’re the same business, the same food, the same family,” Aragón said. “We come (to Springfield) with the same thing that people responded to, that people supported us for, and that is what we have to offer them."
The restaurant is family-owned, uses family recipes and makes all their food fresh, according to Aragón. Cruz, her husband, is one of the chefs. Cruz is from Oaxaca, Mexico, which is known for having some of the best food in Mexico.
"The cooks are family. The owner, he’s the cook, and his sons," Aragón said. "We have our very own recipes, which is what people like. There are no other places like us."
Some of their most popular items are birria tacos, tomahawk steaks and molcajete, a dish of grilled chicken, steak, shrimp and vegetables served in a traditional Mexican stone bowl. The restaurant plans on having specials, as well, such as Taco Tuesday. El Paraiso also offers a couple American dishes, like pasta and burgers, and a kid's menu, as well.
"We have options for everyone," said Ernesto Torres, general manager for the Springfield location, "a little bit for everyone."
In addition to a patio for seating, the building has on-site parking, which is at a premium in downtown Springfield. The fact that the lot can accommodate 80 people was one of the things that sold Aragón and Cruz on the location.
More than anything, the Cruz-Aragón family is excited for the opportunity to expand to Springfield and grateful for all of the support they've been given.
More: During 'year of change,' Martha's Vineyard unveils restaurant expansion, The Galley Grill
"We’re very grateful to the community of Springfield and everyone around it for their support. Because without them, we can’t grow, we can’t move forward. We’re very grateful to our people in Strafford."
The restaurant had a soft opening on Monday, April 17, but officially opens Friday, April 21 at 4 p.m. El Paraiso is open 11 a.m. to midnight on Thursdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Wednesdays.
Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: El Paraiso restaurant opens in former Lost Signal Brewing building
