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� Eats� Former ‘Dreamer’Turned-Restaurateur Carries on Family Legacy

GBy Brianna Ruback arfield resident Lizeth Morales Enforcement (ICE) in 2012 that Morales decided to always knew she would join pursue her entrepreneurial journey. her family’s business, El Gordo, Seeking to develop her business skills after gradua Peruvian restaurant founded by her mother, ating from William Patterson University in 2005, Monica Velis, in 1996. But it wasn’t until a traumatic Morales worked as a sales manager for Blinds To Go experience with the U.S. Immigration and Customs for six years. At the same time, she was trying to

”At the same time, she was trying to obtain her green card because she was a Dreamer, an undocumented immigrant who was brought into the U.S. as a child. “ h

obtain her green card because she was a Dreamer, an undocumented immigrant who was brought into the U.S. as a child. In Morales’ case, she had been living in New Jersey since immigrating from Peru at six years old.

After being stopped by ICE on her way to work in February of 2012, Morales spent 17 days in Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Elizabeth. She was released under an ICE program that allowed her to appeal her case without getting deported, but she immediately lost her corporate job. Forced to figure out her “next move,” Morales saw this as an opportunity to change her career path.

“I felt it was the perfect moment for me to say, ‘Okay, I’ve been wanting to join my mother in the restaurant industry. I’ve been wanting to launch myself as a restaurateur. Now is the time to do it.’”

Morales’ mother, Velis, immigrated to the U.S. in 1988. She aspired to build a business with the recipes given to her by her mother, Paula Armero, who was the head chef for a political family in Lima, Peru.

Although Velis didn’t have an entrepreneurial background, she was determined to create a legacy for her daughters. Inspired by El Gordo, a famous polleria (chicken restaurant) in Lima, where she and her family would go out to eat when they had extra money, Velis knew exactly what she would name her restaurant in Passaic.

Growing up, Morales helped out around El Gordo, washing dishes and tending to tables as needed.

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But underneath her day-to-day contributions lay her dream of transforming El Gordo from a local mom-and-pop restaurant to a national chain of Peruvian eateries. In 2012, Morales opened her first location in Passaic – the same town where her mother opened the original El Gordo in 1996.

Despite her overarching goal being clear, Morales still struggled with self-doubt – something she described as “one of the biggest challenges” she has experienced while working in the restaurant industry. Unlike many restaurateurs, she wasn’t a chef like her mother and grandmother. She questioned whether she could grow the El Gordo brand to its full potential, and at one point, she couldn’t envision herself running multiple restaurant locations.

However, after pinpointing the areas of her business that she truly enjoyed – like the marketing and advertising – she started to see how she could turn her dream into a reality.

“Once I changed that mindset and really started believing in myself and believing in my brand and operating my brand from just a bigger vision, that completely added so much more value to my business in general,” Morales said.

Morales opened her second location in Jersey City in 2017 – the same year she finally received her green card. Following this, she opened her Union Township location in 2020. While COVID-19 caused many restaurants to close this past year, Morales was determined to do the opposite. She secured an SBA loan to purchase the restaurant’s property in February of 2020—just before the pandemic swept across the U.S.

“Given my hard work, determination and our attention that we have to our food and our service, I felt very confident in myself to take the risk,” she said. “I think any business that still

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went through an opening last year, through this pandemic, you just need a strong sense of selfbelief – and the belief that you’re going to go in, ready to work hard, ready to commit yourself to it. And should it not work out, it’s not going to be because you didn’t try.”

For Morales, keeping her restaurants’ doors open means frequently reevaluating and adapting her business operations while maintaining a positive attitude.

The New Jersey chain aims to provide authentic Peruvian cuisine in a cozy and chic atmosphere that takes customers back to Peru through staple dishes like ceviche and Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken. As the original restaurant approaches its 25-year anniversary in June, Morales is focusing on launching her mother’s homemade green sauce, a signature item on the El Gordo menu that Velis has always dreamt of bottling and distributing.

“I believe good food opens the door to culture,” Morales said. “For me, being able to bring my culture [and] Peruvian cuisine and introduce it to the masses and educate people about the diversity of it and the delicious aspects of it is also something that I enjoy very much while being in this industry.”

In order to achieve her goals, Morales takes a handson approach with her team. From collaborating with her chefs on the creation of new dishes to communicating with her staff about streamlining the restaurants’ takeout and delivery process, Morales aims to connect with everyone she works with. This approach, she said, is something she learned from her mother.

Above all, having the opportunity to expand El Gordo while working alongside her family has been the most rewarding part of Morales’ restaurateur career.

“Being able to – day in, day out – work hard to make sure that this brand – that this dream of [my mother’s] continues to grow, continues to be able to serve the community, that’s what [this franchise] means to me,” Morales said. “That’s why I think I’m able to put as much passion in my business as I do. Yes, it’s a brand. It’s a business. But for me, it’s my family’s legacy.”

For more information on El Gordo, visit www.elgordoeats.com.*