After more than two years, owners Adrian and Margarita “Margo” Olvera and their team have reopened Casa Delicias Mexican Restaurant in Hesperia.
Opened in the early '80s, the popular mom-and-pop restaurant, was forced to close in November 2021 after an early morning fire gutted most of the restaurant that sits on the corner of Hesperia Road and Yucca Street.
'Back on our feet'
On Friday morning, as a BNSF train rumbled across the street, the Olveras unlocked the metal sliding gate and glass doors to their beloved store.
“It was an amazing feeling to serve our faithful and loyal customers once again,” Adrian told the Daily Press. “It took us a while to get back on our feet, but we did it.”
Margarita explained that despite the restaurant not being fully remodeled, the couple decided it was time to open.
“We’re only doing takeout mainly because we don’t have dining room seating yet,” Margarita said. “We’re also only doing takeout with a limited menu.”
A glance at the “limited menu,” a double-sided piece of paper inserted into a clear sheet protector, showed nearly a dozen varieties of burritos, tacos and combination plates.
The expansive breakfast menu included nearly a dozen varieties of breakfast burritos, tamales, and breakfast plates.
Casa Delicias also offers a kid's menu, a veggie menu, a variety of sides, and plain and prepared masa.
On opening day, the Olveras were joined by their faithful crew, many who have been with the family for nearly 40 years.
The Olveras said other “Casa Delicias team” members included Nayeli Murga, Monica and Robert Ceballos, and Cicela and Steve Sanchez.
“We were so swamped on opening day that we ran out of food and had to close early,” Adrian said. “I was expecting to be busy, but not this busy.”
Road to recovery
Margarita said after the fire, she felt lost not knowing what to do since her “livelihood of nearly 40 years was gone.”
“Now that we’re back, I feel like a young chicken even though I’m not a spring chicken anymore,” Margarita said. “It’s exhausting and overwhelming, but I’m happy we could finally open again.”
The couple thanked their army of “loyal customers” for standing with them before and after the fire.
“We appreciate their patronage, their support and kind words,” Margarita said. “We’re going to keep going as long as we can. Miracles do happen thanks to God.”
Adrian said the remodel included a larger dining room with more counter space, new epoxy flooring, new equipment and a fully renovated kitchen, and workspaces.
‘Painful, long, difficult’
“I can tell you that the estimated cost to get running again was in the triple digits,” said Adrian, who confessed that the road to recovery was “painful, long and difficult.”
He added that the biggest difference between running a store compared to 2021 is primarily the cost of food and supplies.
“The cost of supplies is outrageous,” Adrian said. “We’re also short on staff because it’s difficult to find good help.”
Casa Delicias store hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Until further notice, the restaurant only accepts cash and payment via Zelle.
The fire
On Nov. 10, 2021, Margarita received an early-morning call from their alarm company saying the alarm at the restaurant had gone off but the warning was likely false.
Later, though, the alarm company called her back, saying the sensors detected hot spots in the building.
Adrian raced to the eatery and saw smoke billowing out of the decades-old Casa Delicias building.
He also saw flames in the front dining area at the front of the building.
At the same time, firefighters were working to gain access to the building via a metal gate that covered the entrance. Adrian opened it and fire crews went to work.
Before they finished, the fire had gutted most of the restaurant known for its Mexican food, tamales, and homemade tortillas.
“When we got here it was just heartbreaking, even though we’re not materialistic and we know what matters is human life and family,” Margarita told the Daily Press. “But just to see your business that you work so hard for, dedicate your life to, literally up in smoke, you know?”
Extensive damage
After crews knocked down the blaze in about 45 minutes and it was safe to enter the structure, Margarita showed the Daily Press a back storage area that appeared to have been saved from flames by firefighters. Damage to the rest of the building, however, was extensive.
Kitchen equipment melted and refrigerators were charred as light shone in on the burned-out scene from holes in the ceiling.
In the front seating area, broken windows left shattered glass on the floor. A light fixture dangled from the blackened and exposed roof.
History
Hector Sanchez, Margarita Olvera’s brother, said his parents opened Casa Delicias in 1981 and later passed it down to his sister and her husband.
Margarita said the timing of the fire was unfortunate “because November and December are our only two busy months.”
“That’s when we get all our profit to survive the rest of the year,” she said.
In the damaged building, Margarita discovered food order slips that Oak Hills High School and other schools had been expecting that morning.
Casa Delicias is located at 9436 Hesperia Road in Hesperia. For more information, search “Casa Delicias” on Facebook.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
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