Cristina Vargas

Cristina Vargas remembers the debuts. The namesake of Cristina’s Fine Mexican Restaurant, she often fell asleep in the dining room booths as her parents hustled to expand their once small empire. Today, the family-owned establishment serves Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican food from 12 beautiful locations in distinct neighborhoods, but the road there began in prior generations and continues with each successive branch of the family tree.

One of six children, Cristina’s assigned tasks helped the expanding business even as a child. Rolling silverware was easy. Stepping into a financial leadership role, as she’s doing now, takes a bit more training. 

Abuelita Angelina

“There’s a different pressure when it’s your name on the business,” said Cristina, “but it’s a healthy pressure.” She remembers a role model who started the family on their path as a restaurateur, and the memory animates her. “My grandma, besides my dad, was one of the biggest influences in my life,” said Cristina, describing her trailblazing maternal grandparent. “She showed me what a woman in a business mostly dominated by men looked like. She was very kind but also very fierce.” Angelina, Cristina’s grandmother, never finished high school, but was nonetheless driven. When she founded a restaurant by her own name, she created a path for future generations. “She was a powerhouse woman able to start from scratch and open a business with very little money,” said Cristina. Savviness may run in the blood.

From Scratch

Cristina’s Fine Mexican serves food made from scratch, and Cristina likewise started at square one, moving up the ladder from helping with odds and ends as a child to the host’s stand as a teen, where her own daughter has also stood, and where her nieces and nephews now sometimes work as well. From hosting, Cristina moved behind the scenes into office administration, payroll, and marketing before she found her niche in finance. Mentored by her father and decades-long leaders at the company, she’s found a deep sense of purpose in embracing others while being embraced by God. “We’re a faith-based company,” she said. It’s God’s plan, she explained, that she be allowed to care for a family heirloom as rooted in community as Cristina’s Fine Mexican Restaurant is. Though some of her favorite memories include visiting Guadalajara to meet the artists who created the restaurant’s decor and to taste foods that inspired menu updates, Cristina says working with family is her greatest reward.

Evolution

For a long while during her youth, Cristina’s dad delivered lunch to his daughter at school. He brought her favorite dish from the restaurant: a soft bean and cheese taco with rice, beans, and a Dr Pepper. Change is inevitable, however, and the brisket tacos are Cristina’s favorites today. The restaurant is also evolving with its namesake. Under changing leadership, a new Cristina’s location is planned for 2025, and a new spin on the eponymous eatery is also in the planning stages.