Rosita's Mexican Restaurant is seen July 14, 2022. The building is located at 642 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb. (Megann Horstead)
DeKALB – Rosita’s Mexican Restaurant, a family-owned staple in downtown DeKalb, will mark its 50th anniversary this weekend hosting a pair of celebratory events for patrons to enjoy.
The special events commemorating the milestone are slated for Saturday and Sunday, and will feature salsa dancing classes on the patio and live music by the local band, Home by 12, and a Mariachi Band. A ceremonial toast and the cutting of the anniversary cake are expected to kickoff all the festivities planned for the weekend.
Rosa Balli, owner of Rosita’s Mexican Restaurant, said that knowing the family business is turning 50 this year means a lot to her.
“There’s a lot of emotion,” Balli said. “It’s always been a part of our lives. We grew up with it. It’s kind of like a sibling. It’s always there.”
Rosa’s parents, Luis and Beatriz Balli, started Rosita’s in 1972. The establishment had grown over the years from one building up to three by 1992. The expansions allowed the restaurant to serve more patrons at a given time.
“My mom was a really good cook,” Balli said. “It grew from there little by little.”
Balli said her parents, who are both dead, would be happy to know that the business has been around so long.
“People coming in, and their kids coming in,” Balli said. “Now their kid’s kids are coming in. … Getting to know your customers when you see them once a week or once every other week, you start creating a bond with that person. It’s not just about the restaurant, it’s about getting to know them and their lives.”
Balli said the restaurant gives her a lot of fond memories to reflect on.
But things haven’t always appeared rosy for Rosita’s and its outlook.
“To be honest with you, it was very scary not to know if you were going to be around six months or not because we had no experience with a pandemic and life seemed to have stayed still when it first emerged in 2020,” Balli said. “When you have a business, you have people that work for you, and you also make a living off of this, and there’s no one coming in the door anymore, it’s very emotionally scary. But thankfully we survived it.”
Balli said she is able to look ahead positively at the restaurant’s future, despite concerns about inflation.
“We’re better than we were last year, we’re better than we were the year before,” she said. “Part of that is because our community is extremely loyal to us. To me, there’s something to say for that.”
Balli said Rosita’s takes pride in providing its patrons with a signature experience.
“Our food is good,” Balli said. “Everything we make, we make it in-house. There’s nothing that’s pre-made.”
Balli added that Rosita’s is huge on building and maintaining relationships with its patrons.
“There’s somebody there you’re going to know of our family or management when you walk in the door,” Balli said.
Rosita’s typically offers options for lunch and dinner, plus groups and catering. Patrons can eat inside or outside in the patio.
Balli said she hopes people come out to celebrate with Rosita’s.
A portion of the restaurant’s sales from its anniversary weekend will go to support the DeKalb County Community Foundation.
Ceremonial toast and the cutting of anniversary cake
When: 3 p.m. Saturday, July 16
Live music on the patio by Home by 12
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 16
Salsa classes on the patio
When: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, 17
When: 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 17
Copyright © 2022 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2022 Shaw Local News Network