A little piece of Mexico opens on Freshwater Road: Meet the family behind a new restaurant

The family behind a brand-new Mexican restaurant in St. John's is finding success by going back to basics.

Visit Cinthia and Mike Wozney's restaurant Soul Azteka to try the pollo mole — a traditional, pan-roasted chicken dish that is smothered with a chocolate-y mole sauce — and you'll see each member of their family working hard to pull off the operation.

Three of the couple's children — Alessandre, Santiago and Andre — hang out after school, the oldest taking orders and serving customers, while Mike cooks in the back and Cinthia runs the show in the front. The youngest is less than 12 months old, but rest assured, she'll likely be helping out someday soon too. 

"For years I was a corporate chef for a big company and what I missed most in life was the work and family life balance," said Mike Wozney.

"So we combat that by working together. Our oldest son actually serves tables and that's how he makes his couple bucks to do his things."

Mike Wozney learned all the restaurant's recipes from working with Cinthia's mother at the family's previous restaurant in Edmonton.

"Her mother showed me all their family recipes and they've kind of evolved from that," he said. 

A slice of home

For Cinthia Wozney, the restaurant is a way to bring a piece of her home to St. John's.

"I'm so happy with this. I can give a little bit of my country to Newfoundland," she said.

She decorated the restaurant with many traditional aspects of her home of Guadalajara, Mexico, including nods to hometown export tequila and mariachi bands.

She said she's met many Mexican immigrants and Latinos living in the province since opening the restaurant. 

'The best review you can have'

"The other day, one guy came from Corner Brook — someone told him about the restaurant and he's from Mexico," she said.

I'm so happy with this. I can give a little bit of my country to Newfoundland.- Cinthia Wozney

"He tastes the food and he said [the food reminds him of] when he was a child. That's the best review you can have."

While she might be living on an island thousands of miles away from home, running Soul Azteka often takes her back. 

"Sometimes I put the music [on] too and I can feel I'm not away from my home," she said.

"It's a little piece of me now. My little Mexico. "