BUSINESS

TheMesaTribune.com | @EVTNow /EVTNow

SEND YOUR BUSINESS NEWS TO PMARYNIAK@ TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

El Charro celebrates milestone but owner frets over its future

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

Though its name changed years ago, El Charro Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge has remained in the same family for a century, but challenges hold its future in jeopardy.

Eva Orta owns the Mesa restaurant and oversees the daily operations.

Her grandfather, Florentino Munoz, opened a restaurant, Little Palace Cafe, in 1922 after moving to Mesa from San Angelo, Texas and brought with him a taste of the Lone Star State.

That cuisine was adopted by the restaurant that Orta’s father, Alfred “Freddie” Munoz, opened on First Street and Country Club Drive in downtown in 1958.

“We’ve worked hard to make our part here in Mesa,” she said. “There was a lot of prejudice then and so he worked hard to be part of the city.”

On Feb. 18, when the Downtown Mesa Association and the City of Mesa recognized 10 businesses that have existed for 50 years or longer in downtown, Eva accepted the award. El Charro was the oldest of all the businesses honored at the ceremony.

Mayor John Giles said that in 1996, when the city planned to purchase a lot of the business in the area to widen the streets, it purposely avoided the restaurant to protect it.

“There’s no way they were knocking down El Charro because back then, there would have been pitchforks and torches,” he said. seeCHARRO page 21

Eva Orta, owner of El Charro Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, is flanked by Councilwoman Jenn Duff and Mayor John Giles during a ceremony honoring businesses that have been downtown for more than 50 years. Hers is the oldest.

(Josh Ortega/Tribune Staff Writer)

Mesa woman’s new business delivers food to pets

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

From a 25-year career as a 911 operator for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Anna Baum has started a new career as a small-business operator that’s a kind of UberEats for pets.

The Mesa woman owns a franchise for Pet Wants Gilbert North, a mobile petfood delivery that specializes in smallbatch-produced healthy food and treats for dogs and cats.

Her new gig – serving virtually the entire Valley – is giving her a chance to exercise what she learned in her pre-DPS career as a food-service manager as well as an opportunity to own her own pet again without feeling guilty about leaving it alone while she works.

“I grew up with dogs, cats, horses, cows, chickens and goats,” Baum explained. “I was never without a faithful dog until my last two died a little over two years ago. Due to my long hours as a 911 communiI retired.” Now the owner of cat – which she said “acts as close to a dog as a cat can get” – Baum delivers food ordered online from a 7-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio, company started by two women who began making food for their dog after discovering large producers’ food actually made their pet sick. Besides selling multiple blends of dog and cat food that the company says contains high-quality proteins and never uses added sugar, fillers, animal by-products, corn, wheat, soy or dyes, Pet Wants also sells healing salve, calming balm, anti-itch spray and paw wax. Along with having a job that Anna Baum, pictured here with her cat Lucy, operates doesn’t require the long hours a mobile pet food delivery service. (Special to Tribune) of 911 operator, Baum said her food-delivery service fulfills another postretirement goal.

”I wanted something that was interactive with the community doing something I loved,” she said. “I found Pet Wants and it was exactly what I was looking for. I could interact with the community in a capacity I had a passion for – animals and health and wellness.”

She undertook training last month “on the various kinds of pet food, ingredients and how supplements can be helpful, the various kinds of afflictions pets can have and how food can make such a big difference in how pets behave and how long they live.

“I practice preventive care for myself so it was a natural fit to extend that to talking about good food for your pets,” she added.

That training enables her to help customers make the right choices when they peruse the various kinds of food offered on Pet Wants’ website.

“I can work with them and share infor-

Eva said the restaurant remained her father’s “baby” from its inception and “it was built to last, like a school.”

Much of the original craftmanship remains in the restaurant.

The original black-and-white linoleum tiles needed replacing and the current tiles were installed by her husband Mario and their sons in January 2021.

But the original exterior paint remains as an ode to her father’s unprecedented idea of having a pink building in the area in 1958.

The current location’s street number (105) shares the same number as her grandfather’s former saloon in Texas.

Freddie Munoz passed away 10 years ago and left the restaurant to his wife Betty, who passed away four years later. “I think they’d be proud but also they’d say I’m crazy,” Eva said.

Her sister Janet took it over for some time until the stress induced some sickness and the restaurant had to close from June 2017 until May 2021, when it reopened under Eva’s ownership.

She said the restaurant has struggled recently with keeping employees even though few have remained incredibly loyal.

Prep cook Meliton Ayala has remained with the business for 30 years and said he enjoys working for Eva.

Like what many businesses see today, employees don’t seem to stick around like they used to, Eva said. The restaurant typically operates well with 40 to 45 employees on payroll to run everything, including the wait staff, bar and kitchen. Today, Eva said she only has 17 workers and that’s forced her to take on some of the roles, including cook.

“The hard part is really keeping employees right now,” she said.

While she balanced her life as a teacher for 22 years and still managed to help four days a week at the restaurant, she said her three children have their own careers to worry about.

“My kids are all kind of set in their careers,” she said. “I really don’t know who would take it over.” While the stress of finding employees and making payroll looks unbearable, Eva handles stress similar to her dad, who she said loved to go fishing.

She enjoys sewing, watching movies, or spending time with her kids to get away from the stress of the restaurant.

“You got to learn how to relax,” she said.

Overall, the thought of what comes next has weighed heavily on her and the thought of selling the restaurant and land has crossed her mind if things continue the way they do.

“If it continues to be like it has been…I don’t know how much longer I could do it,” she said.

Regardless of how much longer El Charro can stand the test of time, Eva said the customers remain the most important part of keeping her family’s legacy afloat in Mesa.

“We appreciate everybody coming and we need them to keep coming.” ■

El Charro was opened by Alfred “Freddie” Munoz in 1958 at Country Club Drive and First Street in downtown Mesa. (Josh Ortega/Tribune Staff Writer)

PET FOOD from page 20

mation with them that will help them make informed decisions about what kind of food to feed their pets,” Baum said. “They can order online but that’s only one part of the relationship. The other part is getting to know their pets and helping them learn how to address issues as they arise.”

“Pet Wants is different because we provide fresh, holistic products in a way that’s convenient and personal. We have the knowledge and training to help our customers find the best solutions for their individual pets and the resources to help pets live long, healthy lives,” Baum said. “We want to support you and your pets as they grow and age and their needs change over time.”

As she planned for retiring and going out into the marketplace as a solo business owner, Baum had anticipated her father would be working with her. But he passed away in December.

Recovering from her loss was the biggest challenge she faced as she launched her business but she finds some comfort in the fact that her delivery vehicle had been her father’s and “while he is not here to help me, he will be with me always.”

And there’s another part of her new career that’s especially appealing.

“My kids and their families, my mom and aunt and my sister are all excited about being a part of this new adventure so it will be very family-centric, with something fun for everyone to do,” Baum said. “After all the missed holidays over the years working as a 911 dispatcher and manager, I am looking forward to the time spent with my family, serving the community in a different way.”

It also gives her time to continue volunteering in the community, serving homemade dinners to homeless women in Mesa.

“Pet Wants is going to be the hub of our family – I’m looking forward to spending time working together and having the kind of flexibility you can’t have working for a 911 communications center,” Baum said. “After serving my community for 25 years, coupled with my holistic way of living, I felt strongly that Pet Wants was aligned with my values and would be a good way to continue to give back to the community in a positive, uplifting way.”

Information: abaum@petwants.com,

petwants.com, 480-867-3922. ■

SECTION COMING MARCH 27 MARCH 27TH!

BESTOF 2022

Our reader poll is designed to let YOU tell us about your favorite people, places, shops, restaurants and things to do in Mesa.

WHO’S the BEST?

The votes are in. The people have spoken... It’s the Best of Mesa!

PEOPLE | PLACES | SHOPS | RESTAURANTS | THINGS TO DO