A local family-owned restaurant, Maria’s Kitchen, has found a way to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After starting their Facebook page in March 2020, at the beginning of the global pandemic, Maria’s was giving the people exactly what they wanted: authentic Mexican food. 

What started off as just a small plate-making gig turned into a restaurant grand opening later that year. Co-owner Edi Garcia, his brother and his mother stated they wanted a place to not only serve authentic cuisine but keep traditional culture alive. That itself was a challenge for them this year.

Being a small business within the last year has been tough for small communities. Many businesses went under trying to survive the huge loss of paying customers. However, others have found a way to adapt to the change. This meant offering delivery if they could, and carryout only since dine-in was not an option.

“It was hard, but we were able to evolve and think outside the box,” Garcia said. “We jumped towards providing takeout, carryout and, of course, delivery. Our deliveries really helped out so much.” 

Garcia and his family are Commerce locals and he even attended Commerce High School. According to him, making those connections with so many familiar faces is just one of the reasons why they survived this past year. 

“ I know a lot of local people and I consider myself pretty close to most of them. Some people know me by first name basis-others call me Pancho. So I was able to use the network from growing up here in town and that helped us,” he said.  

After the governor’s mandate ended March 10, the business has been busy. Garcia mentioned that, hopefully, with the pandemic cooling down and businesses going back to full capacity, they can have themed events.

Maria’s Kitchen can be located at 1940 Live Oak St,  across from the Texas A&M University-Commerce Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium. Find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Marias-Kitchen-107343860889722 for any updates or questions about how to order.