The New York Times called the restaurant among the most authentic destinations for Mexican food in the Bay Area. According to the East Bay Express, it's East Oakland’s "cradle of corn." Yet, despite the many accolades, El Huarache Azteca has been plagued by recession pains and the resulting tightened consumer purses.

Owners Eva Saavedra and Juan Manual Chavez shared their thoughts with Oakland Local about how they’re dealing with economic challenges, what it’s like to run a business on International Boulevard and how their American Dream has evolved over the years.

Q: How did you decide you were ready to launch a business?
A: In 1990, while I was pregnant, Juan was injured on the job and had to stop working. In order to make a living wage we brainstormed ideas for making money. Out of that came the idea of peddling fruits and savory snacks at soccer fields in West Oakland and Freemont. Soon we were selling enough food to necessitate setting up a restaurant in our 74th Avenue garage. After a few months, lines were forming in the street as people waited to be seated. That’s when I realized we had something special. The growth was impressive.

Q: Have you tried innovative strategies for dealing with the economy?
A: Our customer base is composed of working class Latinos: as their incomes are pinched, so are ours. We’ve responded by offering healthier Nopal-based masas made in-house, painting the façade, and even sitting down at tables when clientele is low to attract new customers. We know that an empty restaurant attracts fewer customers, regardless of the food quality. That is painful to watch. We’ve had English-speaking customers come into the restaurant and then quickly leave when they didn’t see other patrons.

Q: Did you dream of one day running a well-established business?
A: No, we never thought we would own a restaurant that would provide the funds to raise our children, let alone have 15 employees. When I began taking business development courses I didn’t even have a credit history while everyone around me talked about their various financing sources. In those days, I thought that there was no way we would survive the first year.

Q: Are you connected with other International Boulevard businesses?
A: Loosely. We’re a part of the Unity Council’s Business Development District. To reduce waste in our business district and promote our area we recently joined an effort to sell canvas bags with the names of our businesses.

Eva Saavedra is a graduate of the Women’s Initiative business development program. She and her husband, Juan Manual Chavez, raised three children in Oakland. Try their most popular platter, El Bacalao, or one of their new Nopal dishes, for $10 or under.

Want to try other Oakland Mexican food favorites? Try Yelp-reviewed restaurants, visit a famed taco truck, stay tuned for the next Tour De Taco or cook up some platters at home.

See other Oakland Local coverage of inspiring local businesses here.