Today we’d like to introduce you to Nordana De La Rosa
Hi Nordana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We are El Pegao Restaurant a puertorican kitchen located in Orange Park Florida. The idea of this restaurant came to us because of the need we had to have good food in our area. El Pegao means the scraping of the rice pot and is a word used in Puerto Rico. Chef and co proprietary has been in the industry for over 20 years and has a lot of experience working on puerto rica and international cuisine. I love cooking as a passion but my work experience is in sales. The combination of my husband as a chef and me in sales is what makes us the perfect match. We open El Pegao in July 2021 and right after the Covid and with the inflation we decide to give it all and put all we are in this little restaurant. This is our third year and our customers love us, but we still need to reach more people in the surrounding areas. We provide the whole experience from the service, ambient , music and flavors of our beautiful island. Refreshing piña colada and delicious mofongo.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
People may think is easy… that’s what I tough and then when you are in here you know is a lot of pieces that you need to have in place to make this work. Staff, permits, inventory, expenses, freshness, flavors, sanitation, prices, menus, decoration, etc. Marketing with a low budget is hard but you work with social media and local radio and some local tv and always make sure to talk to the people and tell your story. We came to Florida right after hurricane Maria hit us with nothing and in 4 years we were able to open our own restaurant.
As you know, we’re big fans of El Pegao Restaurant. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At El Pegao, we bring the heart and soul of Puerto Rican cuisine to Orange Park, FL. Owned and operated by Chef Juan Alameda Rodriguez, who grew up in the vibrant communities of Sabana Eneas and La Parguera, Puerto Rico, our restaurant is a celebration of authentic flavors and family traditions. Chef Juan infuses every dish with the rich culinary heritage of his homeland, offering a truly unforgettable dining experience.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was always in the art side creating, drawing and working in the kitchen with grandma. She teach me to appreciate all the food. I was raised in a small family by my mom and grandma in Mayagüez Puerto Rico. I join the army reserve when I was in College and finish my carreer in education in art. My last job was as an account executive for a big logistic company but felt in love with the restaurant and decided to to be 200% available for it.
Pricing:
- $13 lunch special Monday to Friday 11 am to 3 pm
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elpegao.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elpegaorestaurant/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eloegaorestaurant/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@elpegaorestaurant7456?si=9NK7WAMIol6dhoAV
