The Story of Latina’s Cocina
A Story about Hard Work, Perseverance, Gratitude, and Community. ❤️
For nearly four decades, the building at 737 West Main Street in Farmington, New Mexico, has been a place where people gather around a table, share a meal, and create memories. Today, it is home to Latina's Cocina, but its story began long before the name appeared on the sign outside.
Nearly 39 years ago, a young mother named Fran Marez walked through those doors looking for work. At the time, the building was home to El Charro Cafe. Fran was not thinking about owning a restaurant. She was focused on something much more important: providing for her family.
As a single mother raising children on her own, Fran worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. She had dreams of becoming a hairstylist and even considered becoming a private detective, but life took her in a different direction. Family responsibilities, financial struggles, and the need to care for her children meant putting those dreams aside.
Instead, she worked.
She worked long hours, picked up extra shifts, and learned everything she could about the restaurant business. Before working at El Charro Cafe, Fran spent two weeks working for free at PJ's Diner in Albuquerque simply to gain experience as a waitress. Later, she would take on extra shifts and stay late whenever needed. Every hour mattered when you were trying to support a family.
Looking back, Fran often remembers those difficult years. Born in Chama, New Mexico, in December of 1963 during a winter storm, she came from a family with very little. There were times when she relied on homeless shelters, Catholic Charities, and the Salvation Army to help her family get through hard times. Those experiences shaped the person she would become and taught her the value of perseverance, hard work, and community support.
What she did not realize at the time was that she was beginning a relationship with a restaurant and a community that would define much of her life. Over the years, Fran became deeply connected to the building and the people who walked through its doors. She learned not only how to serve customers but how to create an environment where people felt welcome. She watched families gather for meals, friendships grow over coffee, and regular customers become familiar faces. Then, in 2010, Fran took a leap of faith. With the support of her family, she opened La Casita Cafe.
For her daughter, watching her mother open the restaurant was the realization of a lifelong dream. She remembers being genuinely happy for her because she knew owning a restaurant had always been her mother's dream. Seeing Fran achieve that goal after years of sacrifice was a proud and joyful moment for the entire family. The name was created with help from her son. "La Casita" translates to "The Home," and the name perfectly reflected Fran's vision. She wanted people to walk through the doors and feel like they belonged. She wanted the restaurant to be a place where families could gather, celebrate milestones, and enjoy good food in a welcoming atmosphere.
Over time, that vision became a reality.
As the restaurant grew, her daughter watched that dream become something much larger than a successful business. "It felt like an accomplishment," she says. "We were creating an environment where people could enjoy being together as a family. That's what I really wanted, to create a place where families could connect and share a meal." That sense of community continues to define Latina's Cocina today.
La Casita Cafe quickly became a staple of the Farmington community. It was a place where parents brought their children after school, where coworkers met for lunch, and where families gathered after church on Sundays. Customers returned week after week until they became part of the restaurant's extended family.
Years passed, and something remarkable began to happen.
The children who had grown up eating at La Casita returned as adults. Some came back with spouses. Others brought children of their own. Many returned because the restaurant reminded them of home and simpler times. The food, the atmosphere, and the familiar faces behind the counter created a sense of comfort that kept people coming back.
When asked what it feels like knowing that generations of families have grown up eating at her restaurant, Fran's answer is simple.
"It makes me feel very proud."
Customers often stop to thank her. Some former employees have shared stories about how working at the restaurant inspired them to start businesses of their own. Others simply tell her how much the restaurant has meant to their families over the years.
For Fran, those moments are more meaningful than any business success. The restaurant had become something much larger than she ever imagined. It had become part of the community.
In 2012, Fran left Farmington to help build a business in Parshall, North Dakota, and assist with operations connected to the oil fields. Although she was away for several years, the restaurant's connection to the community remained strong.
When she returned in 2022, however, she faced one of the greatest challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic had taken a significant toll on the business. Like many restaurants across the country, La Casita struggled through an uncertain and difficult period. Fran was faced with a difficult choice. According to her bookkeeper, it was time either to close the doors or start over.
Fran chose to start over.
Together with her daughter, she began rebuilding from the ground up. The result was Latina's Cocina. Today, her daughter plays an important role in the restaurant's day-to-day operations, helping ensure everything runs smoothly while carrying forward the values her mother established years ago. Although she never planned on making the restaurant her full-time career, she gradually took on a larger role in the business. Over time, the restaurant became more than a family business. It became part of her own purpose.
One of the most rewarding parts of that journey has been watching employees grow. Many have become like family over the years. Some have gone on to start businesses of their own, pursue college and careers, or build families of their own. Seeing them succeed beyond the restaurant has become one of her daughter's greatest sources of pride.
Her daughter reflects, "Being in this business has taught me to be thoughtful and careful. Running a healthy and clean restaurant that serves truly homemade meals for the community is something I'm proud of."
The rebrand represented more than a new name. It represented a fresh beginning, renewed energy, and a commitment to preserving everything the community loved about the restaurant while preparing it for the future.
Fran is quick to credit those around her for making that possible. She speaks proudly of her daughter and the restaurant's dedicated employees, many of whom worked tirelessly to keep the business moving forward during challenging times. Their loyalty, hard work, and belief in the restaurant helped ensure that the legacy Fran had spent years building would continue.
Today, Latina's Cocina stands as a reflection of the values that have guided Fran throughout her life: hard work, perseverance, gratitude, and community.
It is a restaurant built on relationships. It is a place where longtime customers are greeted by name, where generations continue to share meals together, and where memories are still being made every day.
For many people in Farmington, Latina's Cocina is more than a restaurant. It is a familiar part of the community's story.
Years ago, Mr. Felix Briones once told Fran that she was a pillar of the community. At the time, she did not fully understand what he meant. Looking back now, she does. She remembers the kindness he showed her when she was struggling, including the ten-dollar tips he would leave on Sundays. Small gestures like that helped her through difficult times and reminded her of the importance of helping others whenever possible.
Today, Fran's legacy extends far beyond the walls of the restaurant. She is the proud grandmother of fourteen grandchildren, with three more on the way, and eleven great-grandchildren. Despite all she has accomplished, she remains humble and deeply grateful.
When asked what message she would like to share with the community that has supported her throughout the years, her answer comes straight from the heart:
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for returning and coming back."
After nearly four decades connected to the same building and the same community, Fran's story and the story of Latina's Cocina have become inseparable.
What began as a job for a young mother trying to support her family has grown into a local institution that continues to bring people together, one meal at a time. For countless people throughout Farmington, Latina's Cocina will always be exactly what its predecessor promised to be: a place that feels like home.
C’mon in, have a seat and grab a bite to eat! Enjoy food made with Love and Care! - Latina’s Cocina