January 30, 2024
Youngster Carries On Family Tradition With Mexican Inspired Drinks and Bar Food
By Gina Horan
Youngster Carries On Family Tradition With Mexican Inspired Drinks and Bar Food
The future looks bright for up-and-coming bartender Lupe Torres.
Being a bartender is a challenge for anyone at any age, and the multi-tasking never ends. You have to memorize dozens of recipes, keep a clean workspace, balance a bank and engage in conversations with all kinds of people.
For 21-year-old Lupe Torres at Fiesta Grande Cantina at Brownwood, picking up these skills came naturally for the youngster, largely because he had a solid foundation.
“It was a great beginning because my family owns the restaurant so I could feel supported and learn all aspects of the business,” he says.
Lupe started as a busser, then was promoted to food runner and server but had his sights set on bartending because he likes being social.
“I like to joke around, talk about sports and chat with the guests,” he says.
The folks who sit at his bar span all age groups and demographics but are most often two generations older. This multi-generational difference, he says, is something that he embraces and admires.
“I respect the great advice I get,” Lupe says. “People tell me to work hard, pay my dues and not take anything for granted.”
As I was chatting with Lupe on the porch outside Fiesta Grande, seniors Bonnie Walls and Kathi Purdi burst out of their seats, through the front door and made sure I got the full picture of his character.
“We love this guy,” they said in unison.
They said Lupe goes above and beyond with a personable sense of maturity, sincerity and politeness, especially with their generation.
Lupe was born in Colorado and is of Mexican descent. Like many youngsters who work in local restaurants, he is bilingual, which comes in handy for both front- and back-of-the-house communications.
“There are a few guests who are from Puerto Rico who like to speak Spanish,” he says. “It’s fun to go back and forth with them in both languages.”
If you want to have a great margarita or to talk about sports, Lupe works behind the bar on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after 3pm.
Hit us up!
Hit us up!
Hit us up!
Gina moved to central Florida in August of 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and spent 10 years as a fashion editor, columnist and food writer for The Knight Ridder Newspaper group. She was also a photo stylist and covered concerts, fashion shows and festivals all over Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for 4 years. She also covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. She is a veteran bartender and has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. Her passions include travel, road trips, history books, baseball, tasting menus and most of all, landing in a new city with no map or guidebook. Gina lives in Oxford with her mom, cats and baby hamster.
