Wendy Mireles of Café Corazon

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Photo by Blaine Schultz

Wendy Mireles of Café Corazon

Wendy Mireles of Café Corazon

Wendy and George Mireles had been living in California’s Bay Area for 12 years when the housing market crashed in 2008 and he was laid off from the construction industry. They decided to move back to Wisconsin to be near family and raise their two children.

Choose to believe in fate or not, but when she was reached for this article, it was the seventh birthday of the Café Corazon’s Bay View location. In November the Brown Deer location opened for business.

Let’s start before the beginning. Do you recall the initial idea and conversation for what became Cafe Corazon?

After being gone that long, we knew we had to start over. It was George’s idea to open a restaurant. I thought the idea was overwhelming and did not want anything to do with it. As we worked on the business plan, pulling from our backgrounds and our experience in the Bay Area, Café Corazon began to take shape. Little did I know it would grow to three locations and a taco truck.   

What were the challenges in opening a new restaurant? (The first location in Riverwest opened in 2009.)

The challenge was converting a building that had been mostly unoccupied for 15 years into a commercial space. There were so many unforeseen requirements and expenses coming at us from all directions. 

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

My parents represent the essence of an entrepreneur. I grew up a farmer’s daughter with parents coming from many decades of farming. They would say it takes a lot of hard work, involves working seven days a week at all hours, and never knowing what might happen next.  When I asked them “why,” they said nothing is better than being your own boss. 

After running Corazon for 13 years, I feel the same. The hardest obstacle I’ve had to overcome was taking risks all the time. But, at the end of the day, being your own boss is rewarding and I wouldn’t want it any other way. It is interesting how our children describe their future endeavors with an entrepreneurial spirit.  

Does being a woman business owner present any specific challenges?

My experience has been very positive as a woman business owner. Having a husband and business partner who is an electrician and general contractor helped in an area I know little about. It saved us thousands of dollars on the construction side. 

I think most of the challenges I faced were my own doing.  Often, when you own your own business, you must make it up as you go.  It can get messy and will not be perfect, but as long as you learn from it, then it moves you forward. This is the message I give to Corazon staff as we work to grow the business and their experiences. 

Part of the Café Corazon philosophy is including local ingredients. Do some of these still come from your family’s farm?

Over the years I had a fruit and vegetable garden and got the beef from the family farm. I would make the strawberry and raspberry jelly we served for brunch and the pickles and dilly beans we served in the Bloody Mary.  My parents are now 79 and 80 and no longer farm. They found another farmer at Redeker Farms and we continue to get our beef from them and continue to do the processing at Brandon Meats.

Later I started an urban garden near the Riverwest location. I used this as an educational tool for staff.  Employees had the opportunity to plant, care for, and harvest for the restaurant. I love the pride they have when they tell customers they picked some of the food used in the meal prepared for them. 

How important to you is it to keep items as locally sourced as possible?

Keeping items as locally sourced as possible is extremely important. It comes with many challenges like increased food costs and shorter shelf life since the produce is free of chemicals and preservatives. Over the years, I have tried to partner with farmers directly but Mother Nature rules the land. Quantity and quality issues are very common.

We work with Braise (Restaurant Supported Agriculture) who acts as the link between the farm and restaurants. Braise has been successful in creating this network of Wisconsin farmers. They take care of the logistics that the farmer does not have time to do. There are many other local vendors we support such as coffee, beer, liquor, composting and tofu to name a few.

Any female mentors whose advice was especially important to you?

There are three strong woman that come to mind. First is my mom. She raised four kids, grew much of our food for family dinners, helped in the fields, and cared for the animals. I don’t know how she did it, but she always made her family a priority. We lived five miles from town, and she was always driving us to and from our school and social activities. 

In my 30’s my boss influenced me greatly. She was a self-employed math and science consultant and coach. She was a driving force and challenged me daily. I learned so much writing grants and developing curriculum. She was such a strong advocate for females in a field dominated my men. 

My third mentor was a customer that came through Corazon’s doors when we first opened. We became friends immediately. She is a financial advisor, and over the years has coached me and helped me make smart money choices for the business and my family.  

corazonmilwaukee.com