Three years ago, Greenfield’s Mexican (and only) restaurant, Mi Corazon, opened its doors in the former Carbee Industries in the center of town.
Loyal fans of the restaurant celebrated this happy occasion last weekend with much cheering, music and margaritas. Owner Alma Soto says she and her staff are very grateful to Greenfield and the surrounding communities for all the support over the past three years.
“We plan to be here forever,” Alma said when I interviewed her on Mi Corazon’s beautiful patio last Friday.
Alma says the patio at the location was a big draw, as it’s unusual to find a restaurant space with such a big outdoor space. She and her business partner, Carla Gutierrez, looked at several different spaces before deciding on Greenfield.
“We knew it was a risk, coming here to such a small town, but we wanted to try, and it has worked out, ” Alma said.
Alma says she and her husband named the restaurant “Mi Corazon” (My Heart) because the family “put our whole hearts into it.”
“We kept telling the kids we were going to do this, and they were so excited, and then we finally did it,” Alma said. “We put in everything we had — all our savings. We didn’t want to have to get a loan from the bank; we literally put everything into it. It was a big risk. And it is a lot of work.”
While Mi Corazon has been open for three years, it’s been four years since owner Alma and her husband, Daniel, a contractor, first began renovating and transforming the space.
Greenfield residents were amazed when the space finally opened, transformed by gorgeous murals and artwork and a fabulous bar. (It was almost hard to recall where Mr. and Mrs. Carbee had put the sparklers.)
Before Mi Corazon, a series of different restaurants had occupied the old Greenfield Industries space. As everyone knows, the restaurant business is very tough. Previous business owners in the space did not make it for various reasons, including the difficulty of finding staff. One business opened just in time for COVID.
Alma and her staff seem to have nailed the winning formula for a successful restaurant in Greenfield, much to the eternal gratitude of residents. Mi Corazon is a destination, particularly for people who live north of Greenfield, as there is no other Mexican restaurant between here and Hillsborough.
“We do see that a lot of our customers come from that direction — from Antrim, Hancock, Francestown,” Alma said. “We don’t feel we are really in direct competition with anyone.”
Alma says her customers love fajitas, and another big seller is the molcajete, named for the traditional Mexican grinding stone it is served in. Molcajete, a mix of grilled steak, chicken, shrimp & Mexican chorizo, with onions, nopales, cheese sauce, jalapeño and green scallions, is large enough for two or three people to share.
One key to Mi Corazon’s success is their loyal and consistent staff.
“Almost everyone has been with us since the beginning, especially in the kitchen, which is a big part of our success, because the food is consistent, ” Alma said.
Before launching Mi Corazon, Alma, who has lived half of her life in the U.S., had worked in many different restaurants, including single-handedly running a busy bar at one site.
“I ran the bar completely on my own — any problems with customers, I took care of it,” she said.
Alma says the first winter they were open was stressful, as business dropped way down from summer and fall.
“Then we realized, ok, we really need to save up in order to get through the winters, because they are harsh up here,” she said. “It starts to pick up again in April.”
Alma says having Greenfield State Park reopened last summer was a boost for business.
“That brings in customers from all over,” she said.
To help bring people in during the dark, cold months when it’s hard to get out of the house, Mi Corazon has started Wednesday night trivia, karaoke every other Saturday night, and, coming soon, live music with “The Filipino Cowboy.”
“I love country music, so we’re really excited for that. We’ll see how it goes and what people think about it,” Alma said.
Until recently, Alma was commuting from Nashua, a 45-minute drive each way, but she and her family recently bought a house just 10 minutes down the road, in Peterborough.
“It will help a lot to be closer, so I can spend more time with my family. Now we have animals — goats, chickens, bunnies. I would love to get a cow sometime,” she said.
She laughs.
“But now there is even more to do at home,” she said.
For more information about Mi Corazon, go to https://micorazonmexicangrillnh.com.