When she was just 18, Natali Juarez tried to open her first restaurant.
She was just five years in the United States, a newcomer from El Salvador who came with her mother, Rachel. “When I got here, my life turned upside down,” Juarez said. “I didn’t know anything — culture, language — and I had left my friends and family behind.” So, at 18, fresh out of high school, Juarez tried to buy a place in Visitacion Valley. The owner told her she was simply “too young.” What he didn’t know is that she had already been working at the Gap since she was 16, juggling school and work.
“It really took me down,” Juarez remembered. “And I thought, ‘Okay, I might have to wait until I am old enough.'”
Now, at 21, she’s trying again.
Sarita’s Grill & Beer, a new Salvadoran restaurant serving both old and new eats, aims to open next week at 995 Valencia St. near 21st Street, where Biriani House stood until last October.
Sarita’s will feature a menu with not only traditional Salvadoran plates like pupusas, beef soup and tamales, but also new innovations that are still being developed, its owner said.
“I’m trying to change it up a little bit, because I want to stand out,” said Juarez. “So I don’t want to just stick to the basic stuff that everyone else has.”
Living in Visitacion Valley, Juarez knows that the Mission is home to some 10 Salvadoran restaurants, but was less familiar with Valencia Street’s business scene. As she was deciding whether to take over the space, she started driving around the neighborhood, and took to the Valencia corridor for its foot traffic and abundance of Uber and Doordash delivery drivers.
“I found that Panchita’s was the only Salvadoran restaurant on the street,” Juarez said, referring to the eatery at 3091 16th St., whose pupusas are a late-night favorite. “So, it’s good to have another one just a few blocks away.”
After her first attempt to open a restaurant at 18 failed, she started working for her brothers, Abel and Joel, at their tire shop.
After two years, Abel and Joel offered her the opportunity to open her own tire shop.
“Opportunities like this don’t always come in life, especially not for someone my age,” she recalled. But, she knew that if she chose this path, she would be working by herself, instead of including her family, which was her priority.
“I come from a big family. I have seven siblings and I’m the youngest. We have always been very supportive of each other,” she said. “I didn’t want the opportunity to be just for me. I knew I was able to help my family grow with me, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Last year, she tried her luck again with the owner of Biriani House. The two quickly hit it off by bonding over a shared culture: Both Juarez’s family and the Biriani House owner’s wife are Salvadoran.
“I think that the fact that he met with my family had to do with it,” Juarez recalled. “He knew a lot about our culture, not just from hearing people talk about it, but he has been to our country before and has experienced it himself.”
Juarez said it had always been the dream of her mother, who used to work in a Salvadoran restaurant, to open a family spot. Juarez’s mother and older sister Raquel will cook at Sarita’s, while Juarez’s sister-in-law, Ana, will help the young owner serve food.
“Anyone who has tried my mom’s or my sister’s food always have good things to say about it, and always say ‘You should open a restaurant!'” Juarez said. “So I want the place to be really authentic, and they are the ones cooking, so I think that will make a difference.”
Sarita’s is named after her niece Sara, who passed away in 2021 from cancer.
Juarez wants to mix food and history: The restaurant will feature a wall of facts about El Salvador. “It is known for having one of the best surfing beaches in Central America,” Juarez said as an example.
She listed a few more: Coffee cultivated in the western part of the country is famous all over the world; maquilishuat (tabebuia rosea) is the national tree, it turns completely pink when the flowers are in full bloom; the meaning behind the El Salvador’s flag’s two blue stripes, one white stripe, and the five volcanoes in the central triangle; the five national parks in El Salvador.
“I’m really excited!” Juarez said. “I’ve been working on [Sarita’s] for months, and I’m excited to see everything running and ask how people think. I wanna get feedback on what people like and what they don’t.”
More relevant food content like this please! So refreshing not to hear about what the BF ordered on Yelp.
Wow what an inspiring story and what a brave young lady! I will definitely be supporting! Thank you for sharing.
I hope they have pupusas with jalapeño in them! Non traditional but delicious.
You will have all the support I can muster! Congratulations and ¡Que tengas suerte!
This sounds great, can’t wait to try this. I am an engineering professional on a 6 figure salary. I feel like I am poor in this city.
When I read this part, I simply could not understand:
*** When I got here my life turned upside down,” Juarez said. “I didn’t know anything, culture, language and I had left my friends and family behind.” So, at 18, fresh out of high school, Juarez tried to buy a place in Visitacion Valley. ***
Can someone please explain to me how a person with their life turned upside down, at age 18 can afford in San Francisco, to just simply “buy a place” ??? Sounds amazing.
“It’s not the bike lane. It’s the fall of capitalism”?
Can’t wait to try this! Wishing Natali Juarez and all involved the best of luck.