The recently opened Muchacho Alegre, a seafood and steak restaurant at 1941 W. Galena Blvd. in Aurora, is a labor of love for co-owner Isabel Zepeda.
Zepeda, 38, of Aurora, already owns the Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor, which opened last year across the street from the new restaurant.
“This is something I love. It’s my passion, this industry,” Zepeda said. “I’ve been living on the West Side of Aurora for many years and have seen the necessity of a good seafood place which was lacking on this side of town. I know there is more action and activity in the downtown area but I wanted to have a place here on the West Side because I was so welcomed here last year with Michoacana.”
The restaurant is open seven days a week and features a full menu of seafood, steaks and appetizers with a full-service bar, private event space and a VIP lounge area.
Zepeda said she wanted to open a restaurant that featured seafood because fish has always been a staple in the Mexican diet.
“For us Hispanics seafood is something we have always eaten,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of fish places around here and for us Hispanics good seafood is like a good piece of steak.”
Zepeda hopes the restaurant’s “elegant and more sophisticated look, in addition to other types of (food) plates than others around offer” will help create a diversity of customers.
Zepeda’s partner, Andrea Olivo, 36, of Aurora, said she has been a stay-at-home mom and that both she and her husband as well as Zepeda and her spouse are now “all in this together.”
“We got an invitation to be a part of this – my husband and I – and we took on the role,” Olivo said. “We’re all family – Isabel is my husband’s aunt. I bring to this my time and I’m actually learning as I go. It’s something that I learn day-to-day and maybe one day I’ll go out on my own.”
A Chicago-area chef that has worked at a lot of the city’s best steakhouses was recruited for the new restaurant after being introduced to the owners by their own seafood chef.
Both co-owners say they want be to known for being one of the best restaurants around.
Jose Pruvencio of Carpentersville enjoyed a coconut shell filled with seafood for lunch at the restaurant the week it opened.
“I’ve got some rice and fries and a side of bread as well as a salad,” he explained. “We heard about the grand opening on Facebook and decided to come in. The food is a 10 out of 10.”
The significance of the new restaurant was highlighted recently by city officials during a ribbon cutting event on March 5 which happened to coincide with Women’s History Month.
Aurora Chief Communications and Equity Officer Clayton Muhammad said it was fitting to highlight the new restaurant.
“This is a great way to kick off Women’s History Month by putting the spotlight on women entrepreneurs,” Muhammad said. “This is a family-owned business, community-based and we’re excited to see things building in the business base during the post-COVID era. Any minority woman-owned business strengthens the entire business community of Aurora particularly.”
Muhammad said having a new business at West Aurora Plaza shopping center is great, given “how important the area is to the history of Aurora and the business community.”
“This business takes the spot of an old Irish pub that was there for many, many years,” he said. “It replaces another restaurant and not leaving it vacant and building up the West Aurora Plaza, we’re watching that resurgence come back.”
Zepeda said her work in the restaurant field “is an example that women can make it happen and manage and take care of a business.”
“I feel there are more opportunities for women and that times have changed,” Olivo added. “Women have proved we are right up there with men. In my parents’ time everything was dominated by men, but there are a lot of women-owned restaurants today.”
New employee Maria Garcia of Aurora said having a new restaurant in the area is exciting.
“A lot of my friends and I are very excited about this and we need more restaurants on this side of town,” she said. “Our first day was very crowded.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
