Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernando Echeverria.
Hi Fernando, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Thank you so much for interviewing me!
My story starts in Ecuador and I came to the United States in 1974 when I was 14 years old with my family. We landed in New York and I went straight to work in a Latin Restaurant. I started as a dishwasher and moved up to first cook within 6 months in the three years that I was there I worked every position that I could – Busser, Food Runner, Bartender and Waiter. When a friend opened an Italian Restaurant, I went there and learned what I could for 2 years before moving to Texas. In 1980 I moved to Houston and ran into some friends from my time in New York, at the time they were all working at a place called Ninfa’s, I worked there for a couple of years before moving over to Paesano’s Italian, Carraba’s, Rao’s and La Mora. Rao’s was behind the Compaq Center (formerly The Summit) and doing very well with the Houston Rockets, Concerts and Events. At the same time I had the opportunity to open a deli in the Medical Center and while working one day I received a phone call from a friend telling me that Rao’s was up for sale. I immediately made some calls and took over the Restaurant, we changed the name to Los Andes South American Cuisine and from 1993 – 2006 I put into practice everything I had learned throughout the years. I started with no working capital, I was young but had a willingness to work hard and it paid off. By this time I had moved to Sugar Land and I was commuting every day to Houston to run Los Andes, but I had always kept an eye out for a location closer to home. In 2005 Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse closed its doors and while I thought it would be impossible to get, after a lot of negotiations, help from family and a huge mortgage I was able to open the doors to Fernando’s. We started with lunch while we waited for a liquor license and built up our wine list with customer favorites and recommendations. When we opened for dinner everything really started to take off. In 2019 covid finally hit us and we had to adjust in a major way for 2020 – we survived and are still working to make it.
Fernando’s is a casual, upscale restaurant big enough to hold 340 people, we have seven private rooms suitable for any occasion and we are open Tuesday thru Saturday for dinner only. Available any day for private parties, self parking is available and we are located right off the southwest freeway.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can honestly say it has never been easy. There are many challenges that I have had to face along the way including having no budget, no working capital, a struggle to find employees and then of course Covid.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a chef, waiter, bartender, dishwasher, whatever the situation needs right now. I am your personal cook and personally shop for all of the ingredients we use. You can usually find me in the dining room talking to every table when I am not in the back cooking. I want to make sure that your entire experience goes right from the second you walk through our doors.
Contact Info:
- Website: fernandosrestaurants.com
- Instagram: fernandossugarland
- Facebook: Fernando’s Sugar Land
