Small town café closes, La Michoacana chases ‘American Dream’ in its wake

WAVERLY, Minn. (FOX 9) - The "American Dream" is playing out in Waverly, Minnesota, but most people in the surrounding area only know the new restaurant for their ice cream at the moment.

La Michoacana Amor Paleteria opened on Jan. 27, replacing the long-time local favorite Waverly Café that stood in its place for decades.

In its wake, one family is chasing their long-held dream in an ode to their family’s patriarch who seemingly worked his whole life to put them in a position to one day be owners, not just employees.

"My father’s wish was always to be the owner of a restaurant," said Leticia Salomon, owner and founder La Michoacana Amor Paleteria. "It was his dream to cook for other people. We had a plan years ago, but for one reason or another we never got to it done until now."

Eliseo Salomon was born on March 19, 1963, in Rosamorada, Mexico, before he migrated to Yuba City, California, in 1980, where he became a fieldworker picking cherries and grapes for $.40 a bucket.

Leticia was also born in Mexico, then brought to California as a child, before the family made its way to Minnesota in 1997, as Eliseo sought more work opportunity, and to reunite with family in Waverly.

Working in Delano and surrounding areas since then, Eliseo worked in carpentry, agriculture and construction before his death from cancer. 

"He loved to provide for his family and loved to work," said Leticia, who has previously worked at Dura Supreme, a cabinetry company in Howard Lake, in addition to various jobs in the food industry.

Following Eliseo’s passing, the family decided to make his dream their reality.

"He would always ask if we had looked for available places, and we always had excuses. But we knew when it was meant to be, it would be," Salomon said. "But before his passing, we promised we would make it happen. It pushed me forward, because we knew we had to make this dream come true."

Fans of the Waverly Café’s breakfast already, last winter they saw the building was available for lease, and the rest was fate.

"I called and talked to the owner, and he asked me of my goals, and we made a deal," Salomon said. "From there we painted, changed the setup a bit, and we were on our way."

According to Salomon, the cuisine centers around her mother Maria’s recipes, veering away from the Tex-Mex offerings often seen at other Mexican restaurants.

Featuring a full menu of street tacos, asada fries, torta birria and more, they also make their own homemade ice cream daily for desserts.

"These are all my mother’s recipes, it’s all authentic," Salomon insists. "The ice cream all comes with fresh fruit. People start with the food, and end with the ice cream they’ve seen too." 

With a menu on the wall, and ice cream up front, the service is fast-casual with the ability to sit down as well. 

"We didn’t want everything to take a while, or have to wait on a server," Salomon said. "People have to get back to work."

For the time being, employees are all family members – a total staff of five. 

But with her daughters going off to college in the fall, Salomon will look to hire surrounding area students to help give them a start as well.

With Waverly currently offering only a few bars and a Domino's Pizza, their idea is an entirely new offering to the small town – one that so far has been well-received by the palates of its 1,400 residents.

"The response has been great. We get a mix of people. We started in winter, and were worried about the cold, but many people still come," Salomon said.

Quiet on expansion plans for the time being, they plan to attend farmers markets and local gatherings with their ice cream cart throughout the summer. According to Salomon, they are also working on establishing partnerships for ingredients that are more locally sourced.

For now, they’re happy to have accomplished what they have so far, and establish roots that can be passed down to younger generations.

From idea to reality, the restaurant represents a portrait of small-town America – working hard to accomplish whatever your goals are.

"[Eliseo] worked so hard. Being an owner is hard too, it hasn’t been easy – late nights and many early mornings. Long, long hours," Salomon said. "But when you do something that you love, it’s worth it."

La Michoacana Amor Paleteria is located at 805 Pacific Ave. in Waverly, Minnesota, and can be reached at 763.658.1555.