CHEROKEE—For Alex Garcia and Malissa Jordan, running a restaurant in a small town is dream come true.
The couple owns and operates Lola’s—with a tag line of “homemade Mexican cuisine”—in downtown Cherokee.
They met seven years ago when they both worked at El Maya in Alva, which is where she grew up. He grew up with virtually nothing in Mexico before relocating to Woodward, which was where his dad was, and started as a busboy at the local Tex-Mex restaurant Ramiro’s.
It was there in Woodward, Garcia said, that he not only learned English, but learned the business of what it meant to be in the food service industry. He continued to hone his culinary skills at El Maya, then Manny’s in Carmen, and back to Alva in 2018, where he connected with Jordan.
“It’s like we’d known each other for years,” Jordan said. Garcia approached her that December and said, “Let’s open a restaurant.”
She knew it had been a dream of his, so they began looking at surrounding rural communities for options.
Originally, they wanted to purchase what used to be Rico’s in Helena, but when they saw this building in downtown Cherokee come available, they jumped at it.
In May 2019, Lola’s took off. Then the coronavirus pandemic happened.
Like many other small businesses in the U.S., Lola’s was forced to temporarily shut their doors in April 2020.
Unfortunately, they didn’t qualify for federal funding, Jordan lamented, because they were just short of being open one whole year.
When they finally were able to secure financial help, it really didn’t help, she said, and furthermore, they had to pay it back, which put Lola’s in a tight spot.
So Garcia and Jordan had to juggle paying back those who had helped them out when the government delayed helping, still pay back the government when the terms required them do so, and continue to manage paying the monthly bills both at home and at the restaurant.
Staying afloat the past six years has been a challenge.
The pair, who have four boys, admit it has been rough running a locally owned restaurant in a small rural town. Some days they’re slammed and other days they’re slow.
And since Lola’s is a Mexican restaurant that doesn’t serve margaritas or other alcoholic drinks, that’s kept some travelers from stopping in again.
Nevertheless, the owners said they wouldn’t change a thing.
“I’m not gonna lie, I’ve wanted to quit,” Jordan commented, glancing at Garcia. “Alex always says God will provide and He has a plan for us. So we keep going.”
“Even though it’s been hard, I believe in Cherokee,” Garcia said, adding he is confident there is still business to be had, that there is potential to grow and thrive in a town with less than 1,500 residents.
“I love my family here,” Jordan said, adding, “Our customers are our family. They’ve watched our kids grow up, even babysat them when we’re busy.”
She was pregnant with their next-to-youngest son when Lola’s opened and he was born seven months later, so “literally everyone has watched him grow up and he knows no stranger,” Jordan said.
Their two oldest sons are teenagers now and they help serve and clean when they’re not in school, while the youngest, who is not quite 2, sits and watches TV with the 5-year-old under the careful eye of regular patrons.
“It takes a village,” remarked Garcia, who cooks while Jordan serves food as the sole waitress.
Many of Lola’s regulars have their own seats, much like congregants at church, Jordan commented with a smile, and don’t even need a menu when they come in because she knows they will order their usual almost every time.
At least 80% of their customers are local farmers and blue-collar workers, to which Garcia noted, “their business keeps our business alive.”
He strives to keep both Lola’s patrons as well as the silent investors, who he said have been patient and protective of the business, happy by keeping the prices reasonable and making meals from scratch with fresh ingredients daily.
“We love our town,” Garcia said.
Lola’s, 115 S. Grand, Cherokee, is open every day for lunch starting at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. every night except Sunday when they close at 2 p.m. Call (580) 596-7003 to order ahead.