Mamacita’s restaurant opened in Kent on Dec. 2 on Main Street.

Mamacita’s owner Monica Hally and her two daughters prepare all of their food from scratch each morning before opening.

The family is from California and is familiar with Mexican street food. After moving to Ohio they wanted to introduce that culture here.

“One of the nicest compliments we’ve ever had from customers is they’ll say ‘oh god it tastes just like home,’” Hally said.

Before opening the restaurant for the day, the family prepares homemade guacamole, rice and meat in addition to four to six hours spent making beans.

“The goal was to just introduce homestyle Mexican food,” Hally said while preparing fresh guacamole.

Emily Caso, one of Hally’s daughters and co-owner of Mamacita’s, said they emphasize their authenticity because they want customers to know that what they are eating is not only real but good.

Hally said their family has always been brought together by food and it was the inspiration for the restaurant. Their menu consists of mostly family recipes and recipes influenced by their favorite takeout restaurants in California.

Even though they just opened in Kent about a month ago, they have received a lot of positive feedback from the community. Other local businesses have stopped by to try the food and a lot of their customers consist of faculty and students.

During their first week of opening, Hally saw a few students walking by and offered for them to come in and try the food for free.

“They sat there for hours and they kept ordering all the food,” she said.

The mother-daughter team is confident in their recipes and they hope what they are serving can be loved and enjoyed by all.

“You want to share what’s really good,” Hally said.

Savana Capp is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].