A Fusion of Mexico & Puerto Rico Gives MexiRico Unique Flair
Springfield, Mass. - All it took was a passion for cooking to convince Emma Febo to open MexiRico, a fusion of Mexican and Puerto Rican dishes. In 2019, she looked into an available space near her home on a whim. It wasn’t long before she opened the doors of her own restaurant in that spot.
It hasn’t been an easy path to pursue her dream. Three months after opening, Febo was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. Soon after she returned to the restaurant, her sister was taken by the same cancer. Then she was challenged once again when her mother was in rehabilitation from a surgery requiring additional care.
By the time Febo’s life began to stabilize, the pandemic hit. Yet MexiRico made it through months of closed doors and today has expanded to add catering and a food truck.
“I’m a survivor, I’m a fighter and I’m still here,” Febo said. “It has taken so much, and I’ve been through so much.”
Fusion Food
The idea for the fusing the two culinary cultures started with her own passion for food.
“As a Puerto Rican, we love to eat Latin American food,” Febo said.
Her most popular dish by far is Birria Tacos, marinated beef with a mix of Mexican cheeses. It was requested by a customer, and Febo discovered it was similar to a dish she already knew how to make but with different spices and ingredients. Soon after she added it to the menu it was a quick hit, but the customer who requested it never returned.
“I always say God sends me angels,” Febo said. “It was the thing that we needed for the business.”
The dish was popularized on TikTok, and requests began to flow into her restaurant.
Her menu has extended beyond Mexican and Puerto Rican foods adding dishes from El Salvador and Honduras. Beyond entrees MexiRico offers desserts, fresh juice and limbers, a frozen treat not available elsewhere.
“Sometimes people don’t know what to expect,” Febo said.
Entrees are made with a mixture of the two cultures, like tripletas with three different meats.
“We’re trying to mix different dishes,” she said. “You can find a little bit of everything here.”
Next she’s in the process of updating her website and Febo is utilizing the Stand Out Truck® to promote her menu.
It Starts with Family
Febo learned to cook Puerto Rican meals from her mother and grandmother, and learned to make Mexican dishes for her former husband. Her family supports her even if they think she works too hard.
“They think I’m crazy,” she said. “But they realize it’s my passion.”
Part of the challenge with long hours comes from the difficulty finding staff, something that has worsened for many restaurants post-pandemic.
Despite her lack of business experience when she first opened MexiRico, Febo was able to apply some knowledge from management courses to the process. But the vast majority of learning has come on the job.
“I’m still learning,” Febo said. “Living one day at a time.”
After all of the difficulties over the past several years, Febo feels it’s a good time for God to leave her in peace for a while.
“Now I just want to be stable,” she said. “I think I deserve a little calm.”
MexiRico is located at 1021 Main Street in Springfield and is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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