Mexican restaurant opens near Rockside Road hotel
by Dan Holland
With the December opening of Gran Fiesta Mexican Grill & Cantina at 5300 Rockside Rd., managers Jose Ponce and Luis Sanchez are hoping the new family-owned restaurant will become a staple of the Independence dining community.
“We just want the city to know us by the great service, friendly staff and quality food we offer daily,” said Ponce, who currently manages the group’s flagship Strongsville location, which is affiliated with Don Ramon Mexican Restaurants. “I’ve been doing this since I was 15 years old, so I’ve been in this industry for many years now, and all of it with my family.”
Ponce said he will be helping at the new Independence location as needed, along with Sanchez, who will oversee the day-to-day operations.
“All of our food is based on traditional recipes we have used over the decades, and it can all be adjusted to suit a number of different tastes,” said Ponce. “It is all based on homemade foods that we prepare daily in-house. Everything is cut and prepared here, and we serve it up fresh every day.”
The family relocated from Iowa to open its first location in Strongsville in 2006. The visibility of the new location, which sits in front of the Ramada by Wyndham, provides an ideal high-traffic locale, said Ponce.
“We also like the sweeping views from the restaurant, and so we took advantage of the opportunity to open a second location to draw customers from Independence and the surrounding communities,” said Ponce.
He credits family member Juan Vasquez, who manages similar restaurants in Boardman, Ohio, and Hermitage, Pennsylvania – El Vallarta – in helping the new location get up and running.
Sanchez joined up with the family in the restaurant business in 2011 and has gradually worked his way through the ranks.
“He started as a dishwasher, then went to a cook and then food runner and server,” explained Ponce. “And now, he is moving up to manager, and we know that he is going to do well here, and we will support him in this position.”
The restaurant offers a lunch and dinner menu and full bar service. Popular menu items include fajitas, California burritos, quesadillas, street tacos and a number of dinner combo trays. Margaritas, made daily with fresh fruit and other ingredients, are also very popular, said Ponce.
Said Sanchez, “We offer a pretty extensive menu that caters to all different tastes that offers something for everyone.”Above all, Ponce said he hopes customers will feel at home when they visit. “Our goal is for customers to come in and have a nice meal and drinks and to make them feel like they’re in their own house, as we try to treat customers like family,” he said. “Over the years, we’ve created relationships with many of our customers at our Strongsville location, who have become friends, and we’re looking forward to doing the same thing here in Independence.”
Photo caption: Managers Jose Ponce and Luis Sanchez run the newly opened Gran Fiesta restaurant. Photo by D. Holland.