Aguacates Cantina owner recalls restaurant’s journey as Hamburg location opens
HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) — A big part of any cultural identity is the food, of course, and while Buffalo is known for its wings, it’s also making a name for itself with its traditional Hispanic eats.
Aguacates Cantina opened another location in Hamburg and Jose Castaneda, the restaurant’s owner, recalled how it all began: with a food truck and a dream.
“It took a lot of effort and obviously 20 years to get where we are,” Castaneda said.
Castaneda and his wife began their culinary journey in 2003. Originally from Mexico, they started out with a humble food truck in the Batavia area.
“We started feeding the migrant workers,” he said. “That’s where it all started, and then from there, it escalated.”
Starting as a migrant farm worker himself in New York, Castaneda saved up money to follow his true dream of opening his first restaurant, which he accomplished 10 years ago in Lockport.
“My goal was not to be an employee of a migrant farm my whole life. I quit my job back in 2016,” Castaneda said. “I had a full-time job as a manager of a farm and I quit my job and dedicated my whole time to the restaurant industry.”
Like any good restaurant, it’s the food that brings people back, and Aguacates Cantina’s cuisine is as authentic as it gets.
“We’re trying to bring the same taste as Mexico to the U.S.,” Castaneda said. “My wife’s a very good cook — obviously her mom, my mom were great cooks, and I guess we were inspired by the Mexican cuisine, the taste of food and bringing it to a big scale.”
In total, there are 15 Aguacates locations across the state. Noel Pagan, the manager at the newest restaurant to open in Hamburg, has worked with Castaneda for the past eight years and said the crew acts like family.
“To see where he started and where he is now, it literally gives you hope to be someone out there and become the person you want to be,” Pagan said.
Castaneda said it wasn’t easy to get to this point, but it’s well worth it for anyone with a dream.
“Don’t take no for an answer, keep going, don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do it,” he said. “The Latin heritage means a lot and we thank everyone for the support.”
To watch this story and more celebrating Hispanic Heritage in Western New York, tune into Channel 4 at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 and the CW23 at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 12.
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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
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