Luna believes in hard work, community

Javier Luna knows more than most about overcoming challenges in the quest for business success.

Luna grew up in Zacatecas, Mexico; his family came to the United States when he was 11 years old.

"We used to work the fields - Hollister, Fresno, even Washington at one point," he recalled. "I do come from a poor background, so my aspiration was to go to school and better myself. My main aspiration was to own a business that was successful."

He earned a BA in business administration at San Jose State University in California. He was deep into a master's program when he fell in love and got married. During his college years, he worked in the restaurant industry, so it was natural that his business aspirations would head in a culinary direction - a direction that eventually led him to Sisters, where he owns Rancho Viejo Mexican Restaurant.

"The biggest step I made was to move to Oregon, hoping for better opportunities," he said. "There's more opportunity here than I'd ever have in California, and I realize that."

He worked at El Rancho Grande in Redmond, then moved over to the Sisters restaurant as manager. He bought the business three-and-a-half years ago, changing the name to Rancho Viejo.

It's important to Luna that people recognize that Rancho Viejo is his own creation, a new and different restaurant.

"It's got my personality all over it now," he said. "It's a unique place."

Luna knew he had to work to retain the loyalty of customers who enjoyed the previous restaurant.

"Winning people over, that's the biggest challenge," Luna reflected. "I did it through quality and consistency. Consistency is something I emphasize. I push the cooks all the time because I want a consistent product. I think customer service is very important... a good attitude."

Rancho Viejo is welcoming. Luna often greets diners himself as they come through the door, and everything from the décor to the outlook of the staff is geared toward creating a welcoming atmosphere that feels a bit like a trip south of the

border.

Being successful in the restaurant business is tremendously challenging in the best of times - and the effort can be grueling in hard times like those that have dogged the Sisters Country for the past three years. Luna recognizes that tight ties with the community mean the difference between success and failure in a small town.

He's always receptive to requests for donations to help community causes - because he wants to support the community that supports him.

"Working in a small community, I realized I had to look at locals differently," he said. "I understand that if locals and customers don't support me, I'm not in business."

That means locals' discounts and an effort to continually keep the dining experience fresh and enjoyable with creative specials and promotions.

"One of the things that defines me as a manager is that I always look at new ways to do things in the restaurant," he said.

Despite all the challenges, Luna finds great satisfaction in looking back at the road he took, starting as an immigrant kid whose dad brought him to America to seek opportunity.

"Before I was 30, I was managing my restaurant," he said.

Now 33 and the owner of his own enterprise, Luna is still working as hard as he ever has, still striving to realize his longtime dream of success.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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