Who: Owners Marlene Hall and Gabriel Ramirez.
What: A healthy Mexican food restaurant and bar.
Where: 1909 Hewitt Ave., Everett.
Founded: 1994, in north Seattle. A second shop in the Queen Anne neighborhood opened earlier this year, and the Everett location followed this month.
Employees: Mostly family-run operation with a total of 14 employees alternating shifts at the three restaurants.
Biggest challenge in the last 12 months: It took 21 months to make the Queen Anne spot earthquake-proof. “We basically had to retrofit that building,” Hall said. The couple had to clear out part of the building and add back in beams and other support mechanisms.
Biggest challenge during the next 12 months: Other than catching up from the Queen Anne refurbishing, Hall doesn’t foresee many problems. “All is good,” she said. “I’m happy with the way Everett is building up.” The original north Seattle location has a loyal clientele that keeps the business prosperous. “It’s all the same people – the same customers, the same employees. We’ve grown up together,” Hall said.
Notable: To live up to the “healthy” label, Gorditos serves only grilled, not fried, meats. The restaurant also doesn’t use lard or fattening oils. But Hall believes the big attraction is Gorditos’ salsa, made from fresh tomatoes. “The flavor in the sauces – it’s just tasty,” she said. Zagat Survey has rated Gorditos for the past seven years; several local publications, including Seattle Magazine, have given nods to the restaurant’s food, particularly its burritos.
Quotable: Hall used the nickname of her son, who was 7 when the first Gorditos opened, for the restaurant’s name. “My husband used to tell my son, ‘You better watch out or you’re going to be a gordito,’ or little fat one,” she said.
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