When Guatemalen Edgar "Eddie" Hernandez moved to Massachusetts 13 years ago, he had one goal in mind.

Opening his own restaurant.

Although it didn't happen overnight - or even over several years, Hernandez has finally accomplished his dream of opening his own Mexican/American restaurant in Wakefield.

"I'm always working hard, and my dream was to get my own place, instead of working for someone else," he said. "Now, when I had the opportunity to get this place, I got it. I'm very happy."

A new type of restaurant for Wakefield
Located at 25 Broadway St., Hernandez's new restaurant, Eddie's Restaurant and Mexican Grill, is a family-friendly spot that features both Mexican and American breakfast and lunch food. You'll find American breakfast staples such as french toast, scrambled eggs and pancakes as well as lunch items like burgers and fries, and Mexican food options like burritos, tacos, nachos and fajitas. There's also a kids menu.

"Another one of my dreams was to bring something different to the town," Hernandez said. "It's a Mexican place, but it's Mexican and American - only about 40 percent of the dishes are Mexican, the rest are American."

Hernandez said the emphasis at his new restaurant is on the quality of the ingredients and the quality of the customer service.

"We serve you fast, and I want every person who comes in make sure you walk away happy with the service and the food," he said.

The path to ownership
Hernandez moved to the United States with his brother and sister when he was 21. He ended up finding his first job in Wakefield at Brother's Deli on Main Street. From there, he moved on to become the chef at the North Ave Diner, where he worked for the last five years. He began to take classes online to help him open his own restaurant while gaining the useful experience at the other two restaurants.

"Right from the beginning, it was my goal to open my own place, but it’s a little hard when you don’t know anything about the kitchen," he said. "But the way you learn is by practice."

Looking forward
Now that the monumental task of opening his restaurant is complete, Hernandez said he is looking forward to expanding from just breakfast and lunch to dinner, and adding in a catering business.

"I can't believe it already happened," he said, about opening his own restaurant. "I took a picture of the first customer that walked in the door. But we'll be staying open later and adding a dinner menu and everything."

Just one step at a time.