A new family owned restaurant made its way onto the Oxford scene on Saturday. Cocina Latina is bringing a mix of authentic Mexican, Guatemalan and American cuisines to Oxford's palate.
The owners, husband and wife Wilmer Orozco and Samary Orozco, opened Cocina Latina in the former spot of Yum Yum at 24 E Park Place with their son Jenner Orozco.
"So my dad is from Guatemala and my mom's from Mexico," Jenner said. "I've traveled there, [but] I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. And what made us open this is opportunity, actually."
The family business started after Wilmer was eating in Yum Yum and overheard the owner joking about wanting to sell. Wilmer has dreamt about owning a restaurant, Jenner said, so he took the jest seriously and offered to buy the place.
Jenner said the family has invested between $250,00o to $300,000 in the new restaurant and employs around seven family members during the busy hours.
On opening day, the restaurant offered free tacos and pupusas from noon until 1 p.m. Some of their most popular dishes include $3.50 tacos on the Mexican side where people can choose between different meats including carnitas, steak, chicken, chorizo and al pastor.
"[Monday] a lot of people came and they were enjoying the food, and so for the first couple days opening has been really good," Jenner said.
The restaurant features al pastor trompo style cooking where the meat is cooked vertically on a rotisserie.
Cocina Latina will change its hours once school starts for Miami University in order to get more student interaction. Photos by Taylor Stumbaugh
On the Guatemalan side they have authentic chao mein guatemalteco, similar to spaghetti with different vegetables, as well as carne asadas, tortas and quesadillas. The owners also sprinkled in American style dishes like burgers and wings to include Jenner's heritage.
"We didn't want to make it just a Mexican restaurant or just a Guatemalan restaurant," Jenner said. "So we decided to name it [Cocina Latina] to incorporate the Mexican, Guatemala and Salvadorian, and of course, the American side with a Latin taste."
The owners are unsure when to regularly offer breakfast and are still trying to determine when to make breakfast options available, so opening times may vary.
The regular hours during the summer are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and during the school year it will change to be open later for the students.
"Everything that we make is done very authentic because we have my uncles back there and my mom, so it's all family," Jenner said. "The other thing is, we are all Christian ... [and] we want to show that side of us as being kind and showing the fruits of the Spirit."
