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FOR CARLA AND KIKO BARAJAS OWNING AND OPERATING TWO AZTECA RESTAURANTS IN SPOKANE IS TRULY A FAMILY AFFAIR. EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS HEAD CHEF KIKO STILL ENJOYS COOKING. CARLA TEASES THAT THE BEST PART OF HER JOB IS “GETTING PAID TO TELL HIM WHAT TO DO.” KIKO FURTHER EXPLAINS THAT “IN MY KITCHEN I AM THE BOSS.”

WHILE KIKO RUNS THE KITCHEN, CARLA MANAGES ALL THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.
THE PAIR STARTED WORKING AT AZTECA 23 YEARS AGO. THEY MET WHILE WORKING AT AZTECA IN SEATTLE, CARLA A SERVER AND KIKO WAS A DISHWASHER.
KIKO BARAJAS, OWNER AND HEAD CHEF OF AZTECA STATES, “BASICALLY I WAS A DISHWASHER AND THEN YOU KNOW, YOU TRAIN HOW TO BE A PREP, I COOK AND THEN OF COURSE YOU COME TO BE THE CHEF. AND I WAS A CUPPER, CHEF BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS THAT’S WHAT I CALL IT AND THEN THE NEXT STEP WAS TO OPEN OUR RESTAURANT THAT’S HOW WE ENDED UP IN SPOKANE.”
CARLA FURTHER EXPLAINS, “WELL OUR PARTNERS ARE 4 BROTHERS, THEY STARTED AZTECA IN 1974 AND THEY BUILT UP THE RESTAURANTS BY PARTNERING WITH PEOPLE LIKE KIKO AND MYSELF AND THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GROW THAT AND BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.”
KIKO AND CARLA ALONG WITH THEIR PARTNER, HECTOR RAMOS, OWN 3 OF THEM INCLUDING: AZTECA NORTH POINT, SPOKANE VALLEY AND AZTECA SOUTHWEST GRILL IN CDA. CARLA SAYS HAVING HER HUSBAND THERE DAY IN AND DAY OUT IS A COMFORT.

CARLA STATES, “LIKE KIKO WAS SAYING AT THE END OF THE NIGHT IT’S STILL FAMILY SO WHATEVER HAPPENS YOU KIND OF LEAVE AT THE RESTAURANT…YEAH…FOR THE MOST PART I TRY REALLY HARD.”
“IT’S GOOD, YOU KNOW? I END MY DAY GOOD AND THEN I CAN SIT DOWN WITH MY BUDDY AND HAVE A BEER” KIKO SAYS WITH A SMILE.

THE BARAJAS’ SAY WHAT MAKES THEIR RESTAURANT SPECIAL IS THEY’RE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE RESTAURANT.THEY HAVE LEARNED THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO OWN A RESTAURANT BUT NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO WORK IT. WORKING THE RESTAURANT AND MAINTAINING DELICIOUS FOOD AND A CONSISTENT ATMOSPHERE REQUIRES COMMITMENT AND HEART. A 12-14 HOUR DAY IS THE STANDARD.

KIKO AND CARLA SEEM LIKE PRETTY GOOD BOSSES. SARAH TRUJILLO SERVER SAYS “THEY ARE VERY ENCOURAGING, THEY COME HERE A LOT TO SEE HOW WE ARE DOING TO SEE IF WE NEED ANYTHING, IF WE NEED FOOD RAN THEY’LL RUN FOOD. IF WE NEED HELP GETTING DRINKS OUT THE RUN, IF THE DRINKS NEED TO BE MADE THEY’LL MAKE THE DRINKS. THEY’RE JUST LIKE ONE OF US.” THE ATMOSPHERE IS ENCOURAGING AND THE BARAJAS ARE TEAM PLAYERS.

WHEN ASKED WHAT HER FAVORITE DISH ON THE MENU IS KRISSIE DOWNING STATES,”TACITOS RANCHERO. I LIKE IT BECAUSE I’M FROM SAN DIEGO AND I LIKE MEXICAN FOOD  IT’S AS CLOSE AS IT GETS.”

CARLA SUMS IT UP BEST WHEN SHE STATES, “I THINK THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, YOU KNOW, GUESTS WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY ARE WELCOME AND ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AND LIKE THEY ARE PART OF THE SUCCESS TOO AND THAT’S IT….”

A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR A RESTAURANT ROOTED IN FAMILY, HARD WORK AND GREAT TASTE.