When Salvia and Marielena Cano moved to the Grand Rapids area 11 years ago, they didn’t abandon their cherished Hispanic traditions. Instead, they transformed their love of Mexican culture into a thriving restaurant.
El Toro Bravo started on the smallest of scales from Marielena’s garage. Every Sunday, the sisters prepared their mother’s and grandmother’s recipes on a wood stove. Friends and neighbors became customers, flocking to the garage for authentic tastes of Mexico.
Six months later, in 2017, the sisters welcomed their friends and customers to come in and sit down when they opened El Toro Bravo in Wyoming.
Salvia moved her family from their ranch “El Toro” in Durango and brought the best of its culinary style to Michigan. Every item on the menu is made fresh, just as Salvia prepared it in the ranch kitchen.
Because the menu features family heritage recipes, the sisters have never considered El Toro Bravo as being in competition for market share with other area Mexican restaurants. With appreciated specialties, the restaurant has grown quickly and has a devoted following.
With the success, El Toro Bravo was able to expand in 2018.
When the sisters became restaurateurs, they didn’t have a lot of business experience. They had little formal education and faced a language barrier. But optimism proved a guiding light for success.
“When you want to do something in your life, nothing is impossible,” Salvia said.
With the help of family and guidance from the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber, El Toro Bravo has achieved solid standing in the region’s food scene. The team participated in the Chamber’s Transformado West Michigan initiative “Feeding Minds, Mouths and Pockets.”
The six-session course provided mentorship and education in restaurant management, including food safety and financial principles.
Salvia continues to attend Chamber classes to improve her business skills.
“I think everybody needs to be open to somebody showing you what they don’t know,” she said. “These people know what I need to do.”
But no one needs to show the Cano sisters how to create a taste of Durango and celebrate the proud culinary traditions of north-central Mexico.
