Meet The New 24-Year-Old Owner Of La Esmeralda Restaurant

Owning a restaurant at the age of 24 might seem like a lot of responsibility.

But that is just one of many things Karen Garcia has on her plate right now.

The young woman is also mourning the death earlier this year of her brother, Fernando.

She’s preparing to donate a kidney to her ailing boyfriend.

And Garcia would also like to change her residency status someday from legal immigrant to U.S. citizen.

“To be honest, sometimes I don’t know how I manage,” she said.

Garcia grew up in western Contra Costa County, graduating from Richmond High School in 2007.

Her mother moved back to Mexico shortly after that, leaving Garcia on her own at the age of 18.

Garcia got a place of her own and worked at a law firm as a case manager while studying political science at Berkeley City College.

She also worked as a waitress at Restaurante La Revolucion in Hilltop Mall and occasionally at the Applebee’s restaurant in Walnut Creek.

This past summer, a business opportunity appeared. Garcia found out the owners of the La Esmeralda Mexican restaurant in downtown Pinole wanted to sell their business after operating it for one year.

Garcia was hesitant, but she received encouragement from a friend’s mother and the owners of the Pear Street Bistro in Pinole.

Garcia used money she saved while working at the law firm as a down payment, then worked out a payment schedule with the old owners to finish out the purchase.

No bank loan, no mortgage. It’s Garcia’s style. She doesn’t even own a credit card.

“I’m not going to spend money I don’t have,” she said. “I’ve always believed in hard work.”

Garcia sealed the deal on July 1. La Esmeralda was closed for a couple weeks for remodeling and then opened in mid-July. Business was a little slow at first, but Garcia said it’s now doubled since those opening weeks.

Garcia said the most difficult thing so far has been “finding good employees.” Although she’s only working one job now, it’s still an uphill climb.

“It’s been really hard,” she said.

She’s thinking of changing the name from La Esmeralda to Fernando’s, honoring her 29-year-old brother who died early this year in Mexico.

“We were very close,” she said. “He was like my dad for years.”

Garcia has also learned she is the same blood type as her boyfriend and may be a good candidate to donate a kidney to him. Her boyfriend has already had one kidney transplant, but that new organ was rejected by his body.

Garcia would also someday like to become a U.S. citizen. She was only one of the six children in her family born in Mexico.

First, however, the San Pablo resident needs to make her restaurant on San Pablo Avenue a financial success.

She’s confident that will happen.

“I’m very determined and very passionate about what I do,” said Garcia.