SWAMPSCOTT — Andrea’s Taqueria’s new Swampscott location has already become a hot commodity in the town, with people discussing it and anticipating their first order “at that new Mexican place.”
“It’s an opportunity that I came across. I am the type of person that when I see the opportunity and things make sense for me, I just go for it,” said owner William Sanchez.
Swampscott is now the third location of this family-owned enterprise on the North Shore. The first Andrea’s location opened on 293 Main St., Everett in June 2019. The second one, in Lynn, began its operation in May of last year, almost 14 months ago.
“It’s a lot of work, a lot of pressure on my shoulders,” said Sanchez about operating the three restaurants.
Sanchez said that he came to the U.S. when he was 16, and that he has been working in the food industry ever since. He said that he was lucky enough to work with people who gave him the opportunity to grow within the company that he worked for previously.
“That was how I am pretty solid in what I am doing now,” said Sanchez.
Sanchez said he acquired the skills he needed to run the business at his three previous jobs, eventually reaching a point where he just said to himself “why not do it on my own.” There were a lot of stressful situations along the way, he said, but Sanchez is grateful for the support of the community that enabled him to keep “growing and working.”
Being able to provide services that people like remains the most important factor in his work, he said.
“The motivation starts when you see that people support what we do,” said Sanchez.
It was amazing to him how much buzz social media created for the opening.
“This location has just been open for two weeks, and it’s amazing, this is the best opening that we’ve had,” said Sanchez.
Sanchez also said that so many people stopped by over the last two weeks that he assumed people were telling their friends that they liked their experience at Andrea’s Taqueria because it’s easy to spread the word in a small town like Swampscott where people really know each other.
The new location will enable Sanchez to provide the town and the community with authentic Mexican food, he said.
Despite all the success, running a food business remains an ever-learning experience for Sanchez, and he said that he always listens to the customers and tries to get their feedback.
“It’s an ever-learning experience, I always listen to the customers, and I am looking for improvements to fulfill their experience,” said Sanchez.
For him personally, his business means independence, and its creation was very much like “connecting the dots” of his journey. Sanchez said that he saw how to apply the skills he had to achieve the goal that he thought most people had — to become independent.
“Just encounter the right opportunity and don’t be scared to take it over,” he said.
Oksana Kotkina can be reached at [email protected].
