WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) -- Data from the Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative at Stanford University shows that there are 4.7 million Latino-owned businesses of various sizes in the United States, contributing $800 billion to the economy each year.
However, the question remains does the American Dream still exist? The land of opportunity has driven many to seek opportunities outside their native country in hopes of equality, freedom, and a better life.
Orlando Rodriguez, chef-owner of Graft Wine & Cide Bar in Watkins Glen, is one of the many stories that paint a picture of how immigrant parents work tirelessly so their children can succeed.
“We were fortunate when my mom was home, but we were a lot of kids. We were four kids, so she worked at night,” explained Rodriguez “Well, one worked at night, one worked in the day, and then she would make dinner for us.”
His parents first immigrated from the Dominican Republic to Connecticut in the 1970s. Raising four children together and trying to make ends meet, food always made it to the table. Much of his culinary journey is influenced by the sweet and savory flavors of his Dominican roots.
“A dish that was common in the house was always rice and beans,” adding “We also got platanos like tostones, or us as younger kids, like the sweet stuff – so we get the plantains, which were the yellow ones, not the green ones.”
A typical dish at the dinner table expanded far past the dinner table, creating tradition at every holiday gathering bringing family together.
“We have a huge family. I mean, we're talking like, when we get together, it's like 80 on my mom's side, another 80 on my dad's side, it’s a huge family.”
Special occasions for a large group called for roast pork or roasted pig, describing it as a memory that still sticks to him to this day.
“And they still do it because roast pork [has] always [been] a staple during the holidays.”
Growing up in a commuter town in Connecticut, he was exposed to the epitome of a melting pot, with families from the Caribbean, South America, and more. The mixture of rich cultures also required a high need for educators to teach English as a second language (ESL).
“The school I went to, basically, they had a lot of ESL, and it was hard. I know it [was] hard back then for the teachers, but it's because there's so many different languages, and they have to try to bring all those languages together to teach all these kids English. I mean, I was in ESL for a little bit when I was younger, all the way [until] second grade because I grew up speaking Spanish.”
Rodriguez, however, says he was grateful to have taken ESL, as it helped him over the years. He would go off to pursue higher education, receiving his associate degree in culinary arts in 1997 and a Bachelor's in management in 1999 from the Culinary Institute of America.
Inspired by his parent's sacrifices, he later decided to move to The Village of Watkins Glen in 2007. He first came to the area to work at a wine cellar while his wife returned to nursing school.
“The whole goal was for me to find a place where I wanted to settle down and buy a restaurant and pursue the dream.”
In May 2019, his wife achieved a milestone by graduating. However, Rodriguez was faced with a financial challenge.
“The owner of this place that used to own it, approached me also, like in May when she was graduating. And I was like, ‘I don't know if I can afford it,’ like my goal was, like, three, four years down the road.”
With patience and faith, he became the owner in November of 2019, bringing a taste of home to Schuyler County.
“I always wanted to own my own place. Nothing big, nothing huge, nothing, you know, extravagant.”
Rodriguez faced many hurdles during the pandemic trying to keep his business afloat, but through the support of the community, the restaurant has grown exponentially – from once only having four employees to now eleven, providing stability for his staff.
And it’s not just in his cuisine, he maintains his cultural integrity, customers can enjoy the “flare” of Latin music as he describes from merengue to bachata.
Now raising four children of his own, Rodriguez aims to instill the same values and work ethic he was raised with.
“I think in the Latino community, there's always hard work like I mean, that's definitely something that I grew up with in my family, and you know, it's hard because generations later, I think it fades away, but I've been trying to instill that in my kids.”
With his success story, Rodriguez encourages other aspiring entrepreneurs to take the risk of pursuing their dreams of becoming a business owners.
“I guess at first it's always scary to start your own business, especially a small business, but I guess sometimes you just dive in headfirst and do what you can,” adding “When I first got approached, the financials weren't there for me, but I found out there's a lot of help out there. There's a lot of grants, there's a lot of stuff out there.”
Graft Wine and Cider Bar is located on 204 North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen, and are open Tuesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.