Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lizeth Morales. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lizeth, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
My hope for my legacy is that it embodies a story of resilience, determination, and strength. When I joined my family business in 2012, little did I know that it would become the turning point in my life. After enduring the hardships of being detained by ICE and spending 17 days in an immigration detention center, I lost my corporate career and had to rebuild my life from scratch. In those moments of uncertainty, I found solace in the family business and decided to empty out my 401k buy my first restaurant and continue the family legacy.
Looking back at my 11 years as a restaurant owner, I see a woman who faced challenges head-on, despite feeling unprepared for the role thrust upon her. My journey was a mix of navigating the intricacies of running a business while carrying the emotional weight of being a DREAMER (DACA RECIPIENT).
I hope my legacy showcases that fearlessness in pursuing success. Success, to me, meant growing the business, expanding to multiple locations, achieving financial stability, and embracing change while staying true to the core values of family that define our brand. I wanted El Gordo Peruvian Eateries not only to be known for a small hole in the wall mom and pop business with delicious food, I wanted it to be recognized as a chain of Peruvian Eateries, A brand that would become synonymous with Peruvian Cuisine.
I want to be remembered for my tenacity, the ability to rise each time I was knocked down, and for wearing my scars as armor rather than wounds. Embracing my resilience took time, but I have learned to see it as a source of strength—a reminder that after the storm, the sun always shines.
In the end, I hope my legacy serves as an inspiration to others, proving that even in the face of adversity, we can rise above, rebuild, and thrive. I want my journey to remind people that no matter how tough the road may be, persistence and unwavering hope can lead to triumph, and scars can become symbols of courage and determination. I always love to say, you get to decide the type of live you want to build, once you make that decision the obstacles become easier to navigate.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
El Gordo Peruvian Eateries was founded by mother (Monica Velis) in 1996. Growing up with a Chef (my Abuela) my mother always had a passion for cooking and when she migrated to the U.S in the late 80’s she always knew she wanted to own her own restaurant and share her traditional Peruvian recipes with her community. In 1996, she took a small loan from a family friend, resigned from her job as a Housekeeper and open our first location in Passaic which is still open. She was a single mother at the time, I was 13 and my sister was 2 years old. Now that I have been a restaurant owner for 11 years, on the hard days where something breaks or someone doesn’t show up to work without even a phone call, on those days that you say why did I pick this tough industry (lol) I always say to my mom how did you do it? How did you run a restaurant all while being a mom, not fully knowing the language and having no business experience, her answer is always the same. “I knew my “why” and focused on the people that wanted to see me WIN, they were my strength.”
27 years later, El Gordo is family style Peruvian eatery brand, we have 4 locations where we take pride in offering traditional home style Peruvian Cuisine of recipes inspired by my mother and Abuela (Grandmother). What I am most proud of when it comes to our brand is the core values, at the root of our brand is family. Family is how we manage and lead our employees, I’m blessed to have learned the importance of team building and leading by example from my mother, she was always so hands on with her businesses, her employees worked hard because they saw her working just as hard. Family is how we approach customer service, having been a business established for so long we have customers who have grown up with our brand, who now bring their children to eat with us. That loyalty our customers give us I know it’s because of how we make them feel when they walk thru our doors. And 27 years later, although I’m the CEO of all 4 locations responsible for all the operations, my mother is still the big “Jefa” (Boss) and I wouldn’t have it any other way, I feel so blessed that I get to continue her legacy, her dream and somewhere along those 11 years I have also learned how to put my own personal stamp on our brand.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I grew up with amazing chefs in my family, and although I love to cook, I always knew I didn’t want to be a chef. When I opened my first location, I focused the first couple of years on how I could possibly be a restaurant owner and not know how to cook, I felt like an impostor. When I looked around at other restaurant owners the majority were chefs turned restaurateurs, similar to my mom. I let this be my crutch for a long time, I felt how can I expand, own multiple restaurants if I’m not the chef, I felt that as an owner I needed to know all of it, also as a small business owner you are surrounded by other business owners who are the operators of their businesses instead of the CEO. Then finally I started focusing on the parts of the business that I was good at, the parts that I enjoyed. I was good at running a business, I was even better at managing and leading my employees and building great relationships with my customers, so I focused on that instead and hired an amazing executive chef to help me with all the parts of the Food side of the business that I wasn’t so strong in, together we have opened our latest 2 successful locations. This has allowed me to focus on my most important job as an owner.. GROWTH!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
When I opened my Jersey City location in 2016, I decided I would start connecting more to my community not only as the new restaurant coming to town but I wanted customers to know me, to know my story, this was important for me as a young Latina woman because I wanted to inspire other women that they can also become entrepreneurs. We have loyal and very engaging following on social media and that is because I take the time to connect with my community, they know my story, they know me and that creates a connection that I have very blessed to nurture and grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elgordoeatery.com
- Instagram: ElGordoEatery