WACO, Texas (KXXV) — "My grandmother always told the story that they opened La Fiesta with $700," said La Fiesta owner, Lynsey Castillo.
It's a dream that started with Antonio P. Castillo Sr — Lynsey’s great-grandfather and a Mexican immigrant in the 1920's.
"In Mexico, they sold hot corn on the streets — when they came to Waco, they did the same," Castillo said.
He started working as a server and eventually bought his first restaurant.
While the Castillo family has been serving Tex-Mex in Central Texas for more than 85 years, Castillo’s grandfather opened La Fiesta in 1963.
"We have so many regular customers that they get to know them, and they kind of become friends and family," Castillo said.
It's just very much a community when you step inside," Castillo said.
She began working at the restaurant when she was 18 and became an owner in 2012.
"When you're younger and you're growing up, you don't think about the importance of it — this is just what your family does," Castillo said
"Then the older I’ve gotten, the more sometimes I just walk in here and stand still and think, 'Wow, we're still here'."
She says the COVID pandemic was difficult, but family recipes and the Waco community kept them going.
"It's supported so many families over the years, and it's Waco, it's a community that's loved us — it's not just us, it's what the city does for us," Castillo said.
Now, the restaurant is thriving and stays busy.
"It's just our legacy, it's what we do — it's what we know best," Castillo said.
