Rio Chico, Charleston, SC. and Summerville, SC.

The Salazar-Rodriguez family comes from a humble, small town called Unión de Tula, in the surrounding area of Guadalajara, Jalisco. Raul Alejandro moved to the U.S. when he was 17 and started working in his uncle’s restaurant in Elko, Nevada as a dishwasher, sharing the kitchen with his older brother Salvador, who was a line cook at the restaurant. It was here that he fell in love with the industry and developed a passion for cooking under the guidance of his brother. As he learned more and more, Raul started covering for his brother on his days off, and that’s where he began dreaming about opening his own restaurant — utilizing the recipes that his grandmother and mother passed down to him.

At 23, Raul finally got the opportunity to make his dreams a reality in the town of Rockledge, Fla. With the support of his mother, Raul started La Bamba Mexican Restaurant, and it was a remarkable success, so much so that he opened three other locations, before selling and moving to South Carolina in 2011 to open the first Rio Chico. He then opened a second Rio Chico location in Summerville. Eventually, his brother Salvador rejoined Raul, and their Rio Chico clientele kept growing as they expanded locations. Raul currently owns three restaurants and is opening a new, modern Mexican place that he is naming after his mother. Minerva Cuisine & Tequila will be helmed by Raul’s sister Noemi Salazar.

“The Salazars are a very united family,” Raul explained. “We support each other a lot, that is what my mother taught us . My mother's dream was that her children would always be together. We enjoy seeing happy customers enjoying our food and drinks, and the whole family has done their part to make this possible.”