Burrito Lady: Q&A with Consuelo Flores the lady behind the burritos

Nov. 1—The Burrito Lady is a hole in the wall you might miss if you're not looking carefully.

Owner Consuelo Flores started a business selling tamales at Christmas.

Eventually, Flores was asked if she could make burritos as well.

Two months later, she was selling enough burritos to quit working as a waitress at Garduño's and open the restaurant without taking out a business loan.

That was in 1998.

Originally from Santa Rosa, Flores grew up in a large family and often helped her mother with the cooking.

Her son, Mayo, has taken over as chef, but Flores still does much of the prep work in the kitchen.

We asked Flores about Burrito Lady. Her responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How would you describe your restaurant's concept and cuisine?

100% homemade. The concept is a specialized and extra hot chile and fresh ingredients. I have found out that customers absolutely love fresh fried potatoes. First I thought it was the chile that was attracting the customers. And then I realized it's the potatoes and the beans and rice and everything else made from scratch.

How do you ensure that your restaurant stands out from others in the area?

I make the food the way I like it. I grew up in a large family of 13 and I used to help my mother cook what I am cooking now.

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced in running your restaurant? How do you address them?

Prepping, a lot of prepping, meat cutting, potato peeling and chopping. And the only way I can address it is to do it myself. It has to be done.

How do you source your ingredients and ensure their quality and freshness?

I do all the shopping myself. I shop at Smith's, Albertson, Sprouts, Sam's Club, Costco, I have a delivery for some of my meats. I have a delivery for my chile and my potatoes because I use so much.

And what inspired you to open your restaurant and how did you get started in the industry?

I was in the restaurant business all my life. I started in Santa Rosa waiting tables, and moved to Albuquerque and was waiting tables. And it got difficult to earn a living. I started getting older, and they were hiring younger and cutting our tables down to smaller sections. So I had always liked my own food. And when we picked places to go eat, I never really would pick a chile place. I'd always pick Chinese, or salad bars, because I prefer my own food.

Where does the name of the restaurant come from?

Okay, this is where it gets interesting. I had a friend that worked for KOB, and she used to sell advertising. She said, "you know what Consuelo, you would do really good if you went selling burritos, where I go sell my advertising for KOB." And it was Christmastime, and she said that she loved my tamales. And she said, "why don't you just cook up a batch of tamales, and I'll take you where I go sell my advertising for KOB." So I went with her and the first day I was selling tamales and taking orders for Christmas. And I started getting asked, "Do you make burritos?" And I said, "No, but I'll bring some tomorrow." So little by little, it took about two months to build up, where I was selling enough burritos to quit my job at Garduño's, where I was waiting tables. And in the meantime, I found the place I am in now for rent, (at) a very reasonable price. And I rented it and sent somebody out of my burrito route, and just grew the business that way, without having to take a business loan and just pretty much paid for all the equipment as I went along.

What's the best reaction to your food you've ever seen?

The repeat customers that just keep coming back for the same thing over and over.

What three dishes would you most recommend from your menu?

I like them all, the most popular ones are the breakfast burritos supreme, the chicharrones, and one of my favorites is the calabacita. It's very healthy.

What's something you wish more people knew about your industry?

That it takes time to make the food. It's all made fresh to order.

What's your favorite local restaurant, other than your own?

I hardly ever eat out anymore, I eat my own food. But because I can't cook Chinese food, that's what I like to pick.

What's your pet peeve?

My pet peeve is when customers don't realize that it takes time to make the orders. Like twice last week, when I opened, the phone rang three times, and it was multiple orders, so I was up to 40 burritos. So that was like my whole stove. And then I started getting the walk-ins with lists. And in my mind, I'm thinking how am I going to make 40 burritos in 30 minutes because it's not feasible or doable. But mostly everybody understands, but it's just trying to get the point across that it's all made to order.