Victor Ayala and his cousins own and operate 13 restaurants. the first was the original El Mazatlan in Glasgow, opened in 1998. Jennifer Moonsong
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By JENNIFER MOONSONG
Glasgow News 1
When Victor Ayala first came to America, he was only 14 years old, and the first restaurant opened by his family had been open only there months.
“I have been working here in Glasgow with my family ever since,” Ayala said.
That was 1998. The restaurant was El Mazatlan’s first location. It was a humble beginning on Cherry Street in the old Kentucky Fried Chicken building. The facility was small and the entire menu was a page long.
“It was hard at first. My cousin heard there was a place available, and we wanted to try. The first year was difficult. Then the second year, it became successful.
“We only had 23 tables, and people would make a line and wait to get a seat,” he added.
Victor Ayala and his cousins run 13 restaurants. The first was the original El Mazatlan in Glasgow, opened in 1998.
Jennifer Moonsong
A quarter of a century has passed since Victor and his cousins Juan Ayala and Jose Garcia came to Glasgow to make it their home and to go into the restaurant business. The growth they’ve experienced has been beyond even their wildest dreams.
By 2001 they had received such a positive feedback from the community, they built a larger El Mazatlan next to the original location. It was unlike anything seen by the community. It too was met with success. Since then, the family has opened 13 restaurants. Just this month Glasgow excitedly welcomed a bigger and better location of El Mazatlan across from Walmart. It has a huge, spacious dining room, modern decor, a large patio with two fire pits and a bar Victor says people compliment often since the doors opened.
“They say they’ve never seen anything like it here in Glasgow,” Ayala said with a sly smile. He’s very pleased with the positive response.
“We wanted something updated, and we wanted to offer Glasgow more,” he said. Ayala also said that great consideration went into the planning and layout of the new El Mazatlan. For example, they wanted to be able to survey the dining room from the kitchen, and wanted the bar to open to the patio.
A stone fountain greets customers.
Jennifer Moonsong
The bar receives many compliments according to Ayala.
Jennifer Moonsong
Although the new El Mazatlan is quite large, its not the biggest of the thirteen. Two restaurants in Bowling Green rival the size.
“All of it is ran by us three cousin, and many great employees, some family,” he said.
Although Victor and his cousins do not have the monopoly on all Mexican restaurants, chances are if you’ve sampled the Mexican cuisine the region has to offer, you’ve eaten at one or more of their restaurants.
On any given weekend they serve approximately 2,000 people. The once one page menu is eight gloss, bound pages, with ethnically inspired Mexican favorites. The favorite choices for locals is the Chef’s Special and the Fajitas.
“We make sure service is fast, the food is fresh, and the quality is great,” Ayala said, when asked what the recipe for such an enduring and growing success has been.
As for the decision to come to Kentucky and open the first location, there is no looking back.
“It’s our home, we really love Glasgow. We give the thanks to God, we have been blessed, we are so busy, and that’s good. God blessed us coming here,” Ayala said.
Familiar faces such as Ranaldo’s has been a part of the restaurant venture since the inception.
Jennifer Moonsong
The beautifully landscaped facility, the new location of El Mazatlan, is one of Glasgow’s largest restaurants.
Jennifer Moonsong
Younger generations of the family, close to the age of the cousins when they first came to Glasgow, now work there.
Jennifer Moonsong
The Flavor of the Barrens series is sponsored by Barren County Schools.
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