Page 12 - March-April HER
P. 12

12 MARCH HER
HER Eats
  Story by Felisha Butler, photography by Grace Brown
Award-winning restaurant Jose’s Mexican Grill and Cantina is a staple in the commu- nity but patrons may not realize that owner Veronica Soto has brought meals to their table from time to time over the past 16 years.
“We consider Hot Springs our home,” Soto said. “When we go back to Mexico and visit and when we come back, it’s like, ‘Yes, we’re home!’ People have treated us so good. Hot Springs supports us
so much. It’s been good. It’s why we are who we are.”
A Chihuahua, Mexico, native, Soto’s life has been rooted in hospitality with her parents owning a grocery store in her younger years, citing her fa- ther as a businessman. As she made the decision to pursue English as a second language, her journey from Chihuahua to Hot Springs set in motion.
“I went to one semester in Mexico to college
for hotel management, hospitality,” she said. “My thing was — for that reason, I came to the United States to study English. I needed at least 75% so I can go and find a good, decent job.
“My brother came and started working. They moved first to California and so I went to Califor- nia (and) went to school for six months before I came to Hot Springs.” Soto said she and her hus- band, Jose, “liked it. This is our home. I’m 48 and
12 March/April 2020 ¯ HER MAGAZINE
























































































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