Family keeps Estrada’s Café afloat

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The matron of the Estrada family and co-owner of Estrada’s Café says she enjoys the community of Maricopa, a place she’s happy to live after having lived most of her life in Los Angeles.

Diana and Jesse Estrada and their seven children moved to Maricopa in 2005 in hope of finding a better life for their children and to open a business of their own.

Diana Estrada said they’ve found both.

That doesn’t mean they’ve struck it rich. A good day at work means taking the equivalent of one Ben Franklin out of the cash register.

“If I make $100 a day I’m happy,” Diana Estrada said.

The dream of owning their own business became a reality for Jesse Estrada and Diana Estrada when they found the café location just south of the railroad tracks. Originally the couple planned to move into an open store in the Stage Stop Shopping center but plans fell through.

Now the family owned and operated business has adopted most of the menu of the former café, Trax, and added a variety of Mexican food choices.

Diana Estrada said her vision for the business is for it to become an after-school stop where students can grab an inexpensive and healthier meal than what they could typically get at fast food restaurants. Some of the menu items include tacos, hot dogs and burritos – all for less than $2.

She added that many customers still come regularly for the coffee, but some have started adding new menu items to their order.

Besides the regular café business, Estrada’s also caters small events.
As long as she has advance notice, Diana Estrada said the business can cater most events. Estrada’s prepared 160 meals consisting of hot dogs and nachos, for example, for the staff at Maricopa High School during staff appreciation week.

Besides fulfilling her business dreams, Diana Estrada is a nurse in the Maricopa Unified School District and hopes to work full time at Butterfield Elementary School once it opens. Her husband, Jesse Estrada, is employed at the Wal-Mart distribution center in Casa Grande but has been unable to work since he had heart surgery in September. He is able to help out at the café and hopes to return to his full-time job soon.

In the meantime, the Estradas try to balance business and family affairs for their household of nine. With seven children between 2 and 15 – including several of whom are active in community sports – the Estrada family rarely runs out of things to do.

Although they try to make sure the practices, games and church activities don’t interfere with the café’s hours, Diana Estrada said there are times when they have to close the restaurant on short notice. Diana Estrada said she apologizes to her customer’s for any inconvenience the sudden closures might create.

Through hard work and dedication, Diana Estrada hopes to run a successful business. She understands, however, that it isn’t entirely in her hands.

“Most people in Maricopa spend their money in Phoenix and Chandler,” Diana Estrada said. “And no small business is going to make it without the community’s support.”

Photo by Katie Winkley