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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Starting a small business is tough. In fact, research has shown that only 50 percent of startups make it past the first five years. But, how many people can say they were successful because of a TV show? Amparo (am-par-oh) Alam of Café Limon would tell you that's exactly how she was able to get the funds to start her Syracuse restaurant.
Amparo is originally from Peru and came to the United States 21 years ago by herself looking for better opportunities. She worked in restaurants in California for years, and in fact, that's how she met her husband, Ron. He was the manager while she was a waitress. Her dream was always to start her own restaurant. After hearing about the Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Amparo knew she had to enter.
She entered her Half-Roasted Chicken with Peruvian yucca fries in a category with more than 10,000 other entries . . . and she won! She and Ron had moved to Utah by that time, so she used the money she won in the contest to start Café Limon.
Café Limon on Antelope Drive in Syracuse is an American-Peruvian restaurant that serves authentic Peruvian dishes Amparo learned from her mother and grandmother while growing up in Peru. Of course the Half-Roasted Chicken that gave her the funds to start her business remains a local favorite, but the Tacu-Tacu (tah-coo, tah-coo), a mix of rice, beans and bacon that is grilled so it's crisp, is also popular.
This is how committed Amparo and Ron are to the authenticity of their restaurant. They import spices and yucca potatoes from Peru, which is the only place you can find yellow potatoes. Amparo also prepares each dish from scratch in the same way she would in her own kitchen, using only the freshest ingredients.
Although Café Limon has only been around for a little over a year, Amparo has already served many customers who have been or will soon be going to Peru as well as one couple who actually got engaged right in the restaurant.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Café Limon 973 W. 1700 South Syracuse, UT 84075 801-825-02
