The wait is over colegiales, La Sambuca is back in business and ready to stay. It had been almost 4 months since the closing of La Sambuca and last Wednesday, September 2nd we were able to finally celebrate its reopening… about 100 feet from where they were located previously! Calle Doctor Jorge Larranaga in Terrace was flooded with families and colegiales by sundown, and business was instantly booming until the late hours of the night. It wasn’t hard to notice that we had all yearned for La Sambuca’s return, its delicious and diverse variety of meals. But behind all the success, the great service, and the mouthwatering food lies the owner’s dedication and sacrifice.
Adrián “Edro” Otero worked incessantly; preparing order after order, as he shared laughs and jokes with his coworkers. “I’m not too fond of where I had to park the truck, but I can’t complain,” he said. “I got the chance to stay here in Terrace, just as I wanted. “¡Estaba loco por volver a abrir!” He recounted his humble beginnings with the local business when he was just a Marketing student in UPRM, when it had just occurred to him as a wild idea one night while partying with his friends. Although at first he did not get much support from family and friends (the usual “¡Estás LOCO! La cosa está mala!”), he didn’t let those comments stop him. To all this he added a very inspiring quote by Dante Gebel:
“When you want to start something, there will be plenty of people who will tell you not to do it. When they see that they cannot stop you, they will tell you how you have to do it. And when finally you succeed, they will say they always believed in you.”
Edro went after his aim to have his own business and made it possible. Since La Sambuca was, and still is, a total success, when he had the opportunity to expand his business he didn’t think twice; owning two more local businesses in Mayagüez – Aljibe and Tijolos. He encourages other people that aspire to open up local businesses to “Just go for it”. “The opportunities are endless. If you do something amazing and people enjoy it, many doors will open and as long as you maintain service quality and your customers pleased, you’re bound to succeed”, he assured.
When asked about what he liked most about his food truck, he said it was people’s satisfaction when eating the food. He also shared that it’s even more gratifying when the whole family comes along and enjoys their meal; “Witnessing people that come because they actually like the food is something that satisfies a lot, it’s a good feeling. And we sure are happy we can share a great meal with friends and family.”
It is very clear Edro has been incredibly successful in the world of business, regardless of his previous situations. “I’m really grateful for el Fomento Empresarial Municipal de Mayagüez and Mr. Urbina who have truly helped me throughout this whole process”. This is his true calling and passion and there’s no doubt he deserves it. Behind every project there is a mastermind, someone with high hopes and dedication to reach for his dreams; and that’s exactly what he did. Starting out little and finally making it big. A man who claims to not believe in setting goals, but lives day by day. He is driven by his desires to go big and interests to give the best service possible.
La Sambuca is back and here to stay, tastier than ever. So come on by and treat yourself for some quality food that’s only going to leave you craving more. La Sambuca opens 5pm – 11pm, Mondays through Wednesdays, and 5pm through 3am on Thursdays.