TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — For over four decades, Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants has served locals fresh and authentic Mexican food based on family traditions and beloved recipes.
The restaurants were founded in Chandler in 1979 and a second location opened in Tempe in 1985. Since then, they have become popular gathering places in their communities.
“We started with family recipes – things we grew up with and that our mother made at home,” said owner Rick Serrano.
What sets Serrano’s apart from other dining establishments, particularly in Tempe, is its unique bean dip, a signature dish that has gained loyal customers over the years.
However, the restaurant industry has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years, and the Serrano family is no exception.
“I think COVID has made staffing a lot more difficult and food prices are out of control,” Serrano said.
In June, the Serrano family made the difficult decision to close their original location in Chandler because it was too large and not producing enough output.
“It was a very large building, probably two and a half times the size of our other locations, and the performance was simply subpar for that size,” he said.
The challenges continued when the Tempe location also closed its doors nearly a month later. The pandemic had already put a strain on operations, prompting the family to consolidate its staff and rethink its strategy.
After investing nearly $600,000 to transform the Tempe location into a new fast-food restaurant called Pronto, Serrano said the concept did not resonate with customers as hoped.
“We tried for a year. We went through all the seasons, but we just weren’t trending,” he said.
Despite these setbacks, the Serrano family remains optimistic about the future.
“We’re moving forward. We’re focusing on our three locations and not going anywhere,” Serrano said.
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