Photo by Jim Muchlinski Dolores Maria Garcia operates the Mariachi Fiesta restaurant in downtown Marshall. The business has operated for 20 years as of this week. She came to Marshall after working at her brother’s restaurant in Willmar.

Special to the Independent

MARSHALL — The Mariachi Fiesta restaurant has made Mexican food a fixture on Marshall’s Main Street.

The establishment is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. Owner Dolores Maria Garcia said her business took shape when she worked for a year at her brother’s restaurant in Willmar.

The business regularly had customers from Marshall, who would drive to Willmar to enjoy the authentic Mexican food and the atmosphere of a Mexican restaurant. They encouraged an expansion to Marshall.

“They wanted a Mexican restaurant in their own town,” Garcia said. “It was something I wanted to try. We drove around Marshall to look for a location, and found a sign on this building. It seemed like the right place.”

Mariachi Fiesta offers a wide range of authentic chicken, pork, beef and seafood dishes, as well as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, fajitas and appetizers. They have 30 different combination platters.

Garcia said her main goal has always been to have a combination of the freshest ingredients and authentic Mexican cooking.

“It has to be fresh and it has to be authentic,” she said. “We’ve succeeded because we work hard. We do our best to have great food and excellent service.”

She said one of the things she liked immediately about Marshall is that it’s a college town. She saw that as an opportunity for her three daughters, Brenda, Jessica and Mariana Oaxaca, to achieve post-secondary education.

“They’re a big part of what’s motivated me to work hard,” Garcia said. “I wanted them to have a better life than in had growing up in Mexico. Part of what they needed was education.”

She said her two older daughters are college graduates and the third is in her third year of a four-year degree. Prior to college, Jessica became a Minnesota state high school champion in speech and Mariana placed third in state speech competition.

The rewards of owning a restaurant extend beyond financial gain. She’s found that business ownership is also a way to earn an established place in a rural community.

“After 20 years, I feel like I’ve become part of the community,” Garcia said. “I feel respected. People have always been very kind and supportive.”

She said many of her repeat customers have become personal friends. She’s had some from other states such as Montana who’ve made it a point to come back on trips through southern Minnesota.

She enjoys the busy daily routine of the restaurant business, especially the opportunity to satisfy each of her customers.

“The people are the best part of having a restaurant,” she said. “I like it when they enjoy our food. I enjoy making them happy.”