More than six years ago, the Nicaraguan medical couple Francisca Sacasa and José Quezada Rivera left behind their gowns and practices in their country of origin. Instead, the two now serve customers who visit them at their midtown American diners.
The couple founded the “QS Grill Steak” restaurant in May 2021, with the idea of promoting Nicaraguan cuisine in Omaha, the largest and most inhabited city in Nebraska, a state located in the American Midwest.
“When I came there was not a single Nicaraguan and when I decided to open the restaurant my objective was not to target the Latin market, my objective was to target the American market [estadounidense]and since I know our food is good, I thought it would be attractive. My target was not Latinos, it was Americans,” he told Voice of AmericaSacasa, a diabetologist by training and the creator of the original idea of the restaurant.
In Omaha, the presence of Nicaraguans is low. According to him Census of the United States in 2010, immigrants from Central America are generally Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and Panamanians.
Before the restaurant, the couple founded a cleaning company in the city, but Sacasa says that she wanted to dedicate herself to something that she was truly passionate about.
“My hobby is cooking, I love to cook. I was the one who cooked. My husband says that I never repeat desserts and food,” the 45-year-old woman said with a laugh.
Thanks to this immigrant couple, Nicaraguans and foreigners can find traditional dishes such as the popular fritangas, a street food that includes grated plantains fried with cheese, and other delicacies from the region such as roast beef, enchiladas, tacos and soups.
The expansion of a dream
In 2021, the couple’s first clients were the friends of a nephew of the couple. “We still have the photo of the inauguration,” they told the VOA.
Francisca Sacasa’s mother is of Salvadoran origin and her father is Nicaraguan. He says that for that reason the restaurant began selling Nicaraguan food and Salvadoran pupusas in honor of his mother.
The QS restaurant joins the initials Quesada Sacasa from their last names, but also in honor of a clinic they had with the same name in Nicaragua.
“It was easy to get the permits. I read the requirements, I went to the part where everything was processed and I proceeded to execute,” said the owner of the premises.
The success has been so great that this year they opened another Nicaraguan food establishment in the Latin food sector in Omaha, but unlike when they started, this time they already had an established clientele.
“The first month was crazy, there were lines and lines. The Nicaraguans who knew us and those who did not know us came to the second location. It was in the so-called Latin area,” said Sacasa.
In the area there are many restaurants with Mexican, Honduran and other countries food, but not the only one. Until marriage came.
“We were the only ones with Nicaraguan food and Nicaraguans were surprised when they saw purely Nicaraguan food.”
The second venture was established in a food trucksa small truck equipped with a kitchen, while the first restaurant is more traditional and is located in a place with more than a dozen tables.
“I bought the car on Marketplace, on Facebook and we equipped it with what was necessary,” said Sacasa.
The marriage has expectations for the business to grow even more.
“The greatest pride I have is that when Americans come they are surprised by our food. In a place where we were invisible and they began to eat our food. The American eats your food and leaves comments and reviews on Google. That helps us a lot “.
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