Business Spotlight: Agavero Cantina

Jesse Mata was raised in the restaurant industry. Mata's family moved from California to Georgia in the early nineties and has been in the restaurant business ever since. For the past two years Mata has been helping his cousin Jesus Onate Jr. run the Agavero Cantina in Lilburn. I recently sat down with Jesse to talk about his family's business.

Patch: What is the best aspect to managing Agavero Cantina?

Jesse: I love the atmosphere of this place. We have a neat concept with the luchadores, or Mexican wrestler theme. I feel it's very different than other restaurants in the area so it's a nice departure and it keeps things fun.

Patch: What is the most challenging aspect of running a restaurant?

Jesse: The economy in the sense that it has been so unpredictable. For the past few years sales wise we're a little off but things have started to pick up so I am hopeful we will be able to continue to thrive.

Patch: What makes Agavero Cantina unique?

Jesse: We want the staff that we look for to be very interactive with our customers so that everyone who comes through our doors has a pleasant experience. Once you step through the doors the decor and the atmosphere compliments our food nicely as well. We also have a mariachi band that comes in on Thursdays. In terms of the menu, we offer the Mexican dishes that everyone grows up eating but at the same time we try to infuse more traditional meals as well. We want to entice people to try new things and explore our menu. You can come here and eat tacos and burritos and enchiladas or you can be adventurous and try our carne asada or chilies.

Patch: What makes the Lilburn community special?

Jesse: I travel quite a but around the perimeter so I get a good taste of a bunch of different neighborhoods. Lilburn is special because it is a nice balance between major city and a small town. You have a small town feel where people know your name and people are quick to help their neighbor.

Located at 4140 Lawrenceville Hwy., Agavero Cantina is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m until 10:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. For more information, visit the restaurant's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/agaverocantina.