Feeding residents authentically

A newer restaurant made its way into town giving residents their choice in Mexican food and service with a smile.

Luna’s Mexican Restaurant, owned by Ramy Bello and Ruben Cornejo, opened almost nine months ago and offers a customer affordable authentic Mexican food; the business name coming from their 3-year-old daughter.

The couple came to Sidney from Denver, but grew up in Mexico, and was in search of a nice quite place to raise their family of six.

“We were looking for a small town not too expensive and I have a brother here,” Bello said. “Victor has been here for five years.”

Having a relative here helped the transition from the busy city life to that of the smaller quieter life of Sidney.

Upon settling in the couple decided to open their own restaurant Cornejo said it was because he had already worked in the restaurant business for so long, most of his life, and he was ready to try it out for himself.

“And he likes to cook,” Bello added. “I am just the helper, he cooks everything. I love my husband he is very good (cook).”

Though Bello admits she has no restaurant experience and she was just standing behind her husband and his venture, she is on board with working side-by-side with her husband in a business that is their own – especially since it allows her to see her children.

Though the restaurant is small but they said it was perfect for them, as the rent is manageable and being on the corner of a busy street they receive a bit of foot traffic.

As any new business does in the beginning the two have experienced some ups and downs.

“Sometimes it is busy and sometimes it is kind of slow, but we are learning. We have always had the dream to open our own business; we didn’t want to work for someone else all the time,”Bello said. “On Thursdays and Fridays we are really busy.”

Despite there being three other Mexican restaurants, the couple is in completion with, Bello said they wanted to stick to something they knew, Mexican food.

“We know the food, you know,” Bello said. “And we don’t have to learn how to make it. But he (Cornejo) went to school and learned different food, for American and Italian and other ones but we went with Mexican because it is not difficult for both of us.”

The menu prices are a great selling point for the restaurant, with daily lunch specials all under $9 and breakfast every morning for under $5.

The reason the couple wanted to keep their prices low is simple, according to Bello, “We just want to pay the bills and have good food. We don’t want a very expensive menu. We just want the business to work.”

In an effort to make the business grow Bello talked about expanding the menu.

“We are going to have a kids menu, a small drink with maybe one taco or two tacos. We are going to add more options for children and adults,” Bello added. “We are going to have a Mexican hamburger that comes with bacon and jalapenos, a slice of tomato and lettuce. We are doing little by little, until we have more money, but we are going to do it – little by little. And have it cheaper than the other places.”

Happy to put in the work it takes to run their own business, the two said Sidney has treated them very well and business is getting better for them.

“The people are nice and they like to food too. They keep coming back,” Cornejo said.

“We have some people who come back constantly,” Bello added. “Sometimes several times a week and that is good for us.”

“It was kind of slow in Dec. and Jan.,” Cornejo said of the winter business, “because of the snow, but now that it is changing it is getting better we are seeing different people. Hopefully, we will do well through the summer.”