SACRAMENTO, Calif — A beloved birria restaurant off Sacramento's Northgate Boulevard is looking to expand to a new location.
The pink building called La Mini Birrieria has thousands of followers from all around, but it wants to make it easier for more people to come.
Their birria tacos attract people all the way from the Bay to Stockton and Yuba City.
The pink restaurant, known as La Mini Birrieria, is located in the Northgate Gardenland Community.
The owner said there's no secret behind their food; it's just made with love.
"It's a common and ordinary recipe. A recipe that belongs to any housewife who usually makes food, but with her heart. Tasty food that you enjoy making, and I enjoy making food. I believe that's the recipe," said Sara Luviano, one of the owners of La Mini Birrieria.
Luviano owns the restaurant with her daughter, who had the idea to make everything pink.
Something else unique about the restaurant is there's all women working in the kitchen. The reason for that is, in Mexican tradition, it's usually the women who are in the kitchen preparing the meals.
Luviano's daughter is also the reason she first started selling birria to a few neighbors. She started in a small tent in her daughter's yard.
"We started exactly when so many people were losing their jobs and stayed home because of the pandemic. And well, I was one of them and so that's where we started this adventure," said Luviano.
That adventure has taken them to a packed dining room, and an Instagram following of almost 40,000 followers.
Their growth is so big that even the owner of Rico's Pizza next door noticed. Sara says, when he decided to close the restaurant recently, he offered the building to them for leasing.
In a few months, La Mini Birrieria won't be so mini.
The owner, an immigrant from Michoacan, Mexico, credits the success on hard work behind the scenes and the loyalty of their customers.
"I love being here. I'm always paying attention to all the customers. I'll ask them what they need, 'welcome,' 'thank you very much,' (and) ask if they want anything. I think people like that, all those things are needed," said Luviano.
The restaurant is hoping to open up its new location next door by May if all goes well.
And for others who want to run a business in the Northgate area, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the city have a new pilot program to help with leasing issues.
More information can be found here: Commercial Lease Assistance.
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