WINNSBORO – For 26 years, Tierra Azul restaurant has been more than a place to grab a plate of chicken and rice or a chicken quesadilla. For the family behind the longtime Winnsboro restaurant, it has been a place to feed neighbors, build friendships and become part of the community they call home.
So, when the restaurant reopened its doors recently after being closed for several months, customers didn’t need much in the way of an announcement.
The word simply spread.
Before the family could make an official “we’re back” announcement, familiar customers were already returning, according to Marcia Calixto, a family representative who has worked with the restaurant for 26 years.
The response, she said, has been overwhelming.
Calixto said customers have returned with words of encouragement and repeated expressions of how much they missed the restaurant. For the family, that reception has reinforced just how much Tierra Azul has been a part of the lives of its customers.
Behind the restaurant’s months-long absence is a much more personal story.
The restaurant initially closed for the holidays, expecting the break to be temporary. Then, in January, Calixto’s daughter was involved in a serious accident.
The family’s priorities immediately changed.
Rather than rushing to reopen the restaurant, they made the decision to devote their attention to their daughter, son-in-law and the health and well-being of their family.
Months later, Calixto said her daughter and son-in-law are doing much better. She said the family remains grateful for the thoughts and prayers of those who have supported them along the way.
Above all, they credit God. “Our family gives God the glory not only for the healing and progress we have witnessed following the accident,” Calixto said, “but also for the opportunity to reopen Tierra Azul.”
After 26 years in the community, their focus remains on serving Winnsboro — both through the food coming out of their kitchen and through the relationships with their customers.
Customers who have spent the past several months craving their Tierra Azul favorites will not have to worry about learning a new menu.
“We’ve kept the same menu,” Calixto said.
Among the restaurant’s longtime customer favorites are its chicken and rice and chicken quesadillas.
There is a simple reason the food has connected with customers for so many years, Calixto said. “It’s the same food our family eats.
She said the meals are not recipes created simply to sell in a restaurant.
“The food we serve is the same food our family enjoys,” she said. “And we’re proud to share it with our customers.”
And customers apparently missed that food. Since reopening approximately two weeks ago, Tierra Azul has received an outpouring of support. Calixto said the family did not fully realize the level of demand for the restaurant until customers began returning.
Hearing people say, “thank you for reopening,” and “we missed you,” and simply seeing their happy faces again has meant a great deal to the family.
Tierra Azul’s return comes as Winnsboro continues to welcome and support a variety of restaurants and businesses.
But Calixto said the family does not view other restaurants as competition.
Instead, she said her family believes there is room for everyone.
As the restaurant begins this new chapter, the family’s message is centered less on what has changed and more on what has remained the same: their food, their faith and their love for the community.
“We are grateful that our loved ones are doing better and grateful for the customers who welcomed us back,” Calixto said.
The restaurant’s service is currently limited to takeout and drive-through only. There is no dine-in service at this time.
Tierra Azul is currently open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 5 to 8 p.m. It is located at 1489 US-321 Bypass in Winnsboro.