Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Salmeron.
Hi Karla, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Karla Salmeron. I am 26 years old and I graduated from UH with a degree in human resources. I am the new owner of Bistro Le Cep along with my mom and brother, but my story doesn’t start with me. It starts with my dad Oved Salmeron who came to the US from El Salvador at the age of 18. His dream was to go to school and study livestock and agriculture to eventually have his own farm, but in 1982 however, a civil war broke out in his country and he had to flee. In 1983, at the age of 18, he left his country behind and ended up in Houston, Texas. That year he began working at a restaurant named Rotisserie for Beef and Bird which was owned by Chef Joe Mannke. There he started working as a busboy and would eventually become a waiter. Years later in July of 2001, Chef Mannke opened Bistro Le Cep and asked my dad to be a general manager. Ten years later Chef Mannke retired and my dad became the owner. In January of this year 2022 my dad sadly passed away and I was left in charge of the restaurant. I started working at the restaurant in 2012 at the age of 16 as a hostess and while in college I switched to working in the kitchen making desserts and appetizers and I would also manage the restaurant every now and then. I also have the help of my mom and uncle. My uncle has worked at the restaurant since it opened as a waiter alongside two of my dad’s cousins and friends. Our restaurant makes great quality food for a very decent price we have been in business for 20 years now and we have not had to hire a new waiter since 2005, everyone who has been working here has been employed from the beginning.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Running the restaurant has been anything but smooth, covid hit our industry hard and we are still dealing with the slow business but little by little we can see it picking up. We had a hard hit with losing my dad who was the owner, it wasn’t easy on any of us all the workers had been working with him for many years and it was a big loss and a weird feeling getting back to work. Everyone found comfort in each other to be able to continue to work and do a great job as he would have wanted.
We’ve been impressed with Bistro Le Cep, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Bistro Le Cep has been open for 20 years now going on 21 in June. We have serviced the Westchase area with amazing french country cooking all these years and have many different awards, our ratings on open table, Yelp, and Google are 4.5+ stars. I am the current manager and owner here so when anyone comes in I am usually the first to greet them and take them to their table. We are a small restaurant with about 15 employees many of our customers who are regulars are very familiar with all of our staff. I think what sets us apart from other restaurants is that when you come here we have a very homey atmosphere we recognize those who have come in often and remember their names for the next time we see them. Another thing that sets us apart and that we are really proud of is that we have not had to hire a new waiter since 2005 and we still call him a rookie. Here it really is like a family all the other employees have also been here for 6+ years. I want readers to know they have a nice cozy restaurant in their neighborhood they have most likely driven by the restaurant with the big cow in the front and haven’t come in to see what they are missing. I have been with this restaurant all my life and I never get tired of the food, and I eat here every day. Our food will transport you to the French countryside with each bite. We have something for everyone here and if you don’t see something on the menu that caters to your needs we can always adjust our meals to be perfect for you. We also have a great wine selection and a full bar. We love to keep our customers happy and will go above and beyond for them.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is not defined by money or status I think it is defined by the happiness you feel in what you are doing. If someone is happy and achieves a goal they have been working hard to reach then that is success to them. Success looks different to everyone but I think it can be defined by the happiness one feels in what they do.
Pricing:
- Lunch Prices vary from $19-$27
- Dinner Prices vary from $25-$40
- Wine by glass prices $8-$17
- Wine by the bottle $24-$570
Contact Info:
- Website: Bistro-Le-Cep.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bistro.le.cep/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BistroLeCep/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-le-cep-houston
- Other: https://www.opentable.com/bistro-le-cep
