Name: Lorraine Salazar
Hometown: Fresno, California
Job: Owns Sal’s Mexican Restaurants with her brother Karl
Fun fact: Lorraine’s passion for the culinary history of Mexican cuisine led her to pursue yearly travels to various states in Mexico, where she’s learned to cook the specialty foods of each region from local chefs and home cooks.
How did you get your start in the restaurant industry?
It all goes back to my father Sal. At the age of 17, he decided he wanted a better life for our family than he could provide by picking peaches in the fields, so he decided to open a restaurant. That was the beginning of Sal’s Mexican Restaurants in 1942. I learned the basics and hard work of operating a small business by working alongside my father and grandparents, preparing my grandmother’s signature recipes, sweeping the floors and working the cook line preparing orders for the restaurant guests.
Did you always know that you were destined for a career in restaurants?
No. I actually thought I would pursue a law career. My father encouraged me to study hard and pursue higher education, something that was never available to him as a young man. I graduated from UCLA in 1982, expecting to continue on to law school. Sadly, my father became ill and passed away, and I returned home to help manage the family business. It has been an honor to carry on my father’s legacy and continue to build on what he started more than 70 years ago.
What is your favorite thing about working in the restaurant industry?
I love that our restaurants are a family affair. My brother Karl and I co-own Sal’s Mexican Restaurants, celebrating our 73rd year in business this year, and we are proud to employ more than 150 people. Through hard work in restaurants, two generations of my family have built our own American dream.
