Con Mucho Gusto
La Familia Cortez Restaurants began when founder and family patriarch Pedro Cortez purchased a fledgling café in San Antonio's Market Square for $150. With family recipes and a dedication to customer service, he and his wife Cruz worked side-by-side to make the venture a success. That humble beginning planted a seed that has grown into some of the most iconic restaurants in San Antonio, as well as the cornerstone of the city's Historic Market Square and the heartbeat of Latino culture in the Alamo City.
Our Vision
The company is guided by a single vision, "We will glorify God by honoring the vision of our founders, valuing family, preserving our culture and offering a world-class experience." As it works to honor that vision, its entire team operates under this credo: "We are in the business of feeding minds, bodies and spirits while exceeding the needs, desires and expectations of our guests each and every time."
La Familia Cortez Restaurants strongly believes one of the main ingredients to its success continues to be creating a special connection with the community outside of the restaurants. That vision of active community involvement is rooted in how Pedro worked to develop his beloved El Mercado and preserve Latino culture in San Antonio. Pedro's community service and activism continue to inspire the family's community patronage and commitment to San Antonio, guiding the family's dedication to preserving Mexican culture in San Antonio.
Our People, Our History, Our family
Imagine hosting your friends and family for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That's what La Familia Cortez Restaurants has been doing for 75 years. That's 899 months, 3,910 weeks, 27,375 days, and quite a shopping list! The numbers add up quickly, but each dish is treated with the same loving, handmade care - and served with the same sincere hospitality - as they were 75 years ago when Pedro and Cruz Cortez were serving guests at a three table café.
At La Familia Cortez Restaurants, guests are considered part of the family and there's nothing better than welcoming your family for a great meal, time and time again. Each week, Mi Tierra Café y Panadería, La Margarita Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Restaurante Pico de Gallo and Viva Villa Taqueria serve almost 40,000 guests.
DEEPLY ROOTED IN SAN ANTIONIO - 75 YEARS AND COUNTING
A Mexican immigrant from Guadalajara who proudly proclaimed, "I'm an American by choice, not by chance," Pedro strongly believed in the need to preserve San Antonio's Mexican culture, already embodied by the city's color, passion, hospitality and of course, its cuisine. His vision played a huge role in the revitalization of the restaurants' home, El Mercado (Historic Market Square). Once considered a blighted area of San Antonio, Pedro worked to help revitalize the area, now one of the most popular tourist destinations in San Antonio.
In addition to its role in preserving and promoting Historic Market Square, La Familia Cortez constantly seeks to further contribute to San Antonio's vibrant urban environment and continued economic development, working diligently over the last several decades to reinvigorate downtown, particularly the west side and the area now designated as "Zona Cultural" by the City of San Antonio and the Texas Commission on the Arts.