Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Silva.
Hi Maria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My name is Maria. I’ve been a Texas resident since 5 years old. I grew up in a small town and went to a very small school where I graduated with honors. I postponed college because at the time of my high school graduation, I found out I was expecting and decided to put that on hold. I married, had my child, divorced, and was forced to find a job to provide for my daughter. I landed a great job working for a mom & pop shop as a waitress/cashier. They took me in & showed me so much. Everything I’ve learned was because of them. My ex-boss had a huge impact in who I am now by teaching me to be responsible and always got the extra mile. Very grateful for my time at my previous job.
I worked in that restaurant for about 14 years. After much dedication & growth managing that restaurant, I wanted to open my own business & just spread my wings and fly. I didn’t want to open a restaurant because it’s hard work! But the Lord lead me to open exactly that, a restaurant!
We opened up Maria’s Eatery located in East Bernard in February 2022. It’s been beautiful & humbling to see what we’ve built from the ground up.
My whole journey since starting mindset & healing work on myself has been just relying on God & surrendering my life to His will for mine. My motto has been “Lead by Example.”
Through all of this intense journey through starting a brand-new business & growing it, my faith has definitely increased tremendously. I think that’s exactly why God led to me to a restaurant. It wasn’t about doing just something I love but about shaping me into what He wants me to do later in life with the knowledge & wisdom gained from this business. I’m still being renewed & transformed.
From this all, “Revive My Heart Ministries” was born. This all has been God-given. I use social media a lot to minister to those that God is calling me to touch. One of my gifts is serving and that’s exactly why the Lord even gave me a restaurant… To serve our community!! We love giving back & just supporting where we can.
My mission hasn’t been to go after the money; it’s been about “What can I do today to bring someone closer to Jesus?” & “In what way can I represent Jesus today?”.
That’s exactly what I am called to do daily, and I do it wholeheartedly and with hope for real revival.
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?
The road has definitely been challenging. When you’re on a mission to spread the Gospel, the enemy throws everything he can to distract you from your mission. I have had to cling to Jesus more than ever & claim His victory over my life to overcome everything thrown at me.
The most difficult struggles have been in our finances & our relationships.
Financially, it’s hard to have a small business with the economy the way it is. Not everyone is willing to support small business, but I have learned that it’s okay because God will always provide.
The struggles in our friendships have been hard because as I’m growing mentally & spiritually, not everyone will want to keep up with my level of growth, so friends back up & run away. With that, I’ve struggled, but I’ve learned to be okay with people being in my life for only a season.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Maria’s Eatery?
Maria’s Eatery opened in February 2022. We have built our business from the ground up with our own personal savings. We didn’t get any kind of funding for our business. We used what we had & just did the best we could.
We knew something was missing in East Bernard food-wise & wanted to fill the void. We didn’t have many options when it came to breakfast or a good homemade lunch, so we branded ourselves exactly for that. Breakfast, brunch & lunch made to order when YOU order it. Our food is always fresh, hot & made to order.
Our specialties are our Chicken Fried Steak, our huge breakfast tacos, our Chicken & Waffles, and our big, overstuffed omelettes alongside our big & fluffy pancakes or our crispy waffles!
We truly believe in service with a smile & have built this beautiful business with Great customer service in mind; our customers truly become family. I am blessed to have many customers that followed me from my previous employment & I’m even more blessed by all of my new customers who have become regulars now.
We strive to be better than yesterday daily. If something is wrong, we happily will fix it. If we don’t have something on the menu, just ask because chances are, we can make it.
We love to serve in every way we can. That’s truly what sets us apart!!!
Any big plans?
Our plans for our restaurant is to expand eventually. We are looking for the right opportunity to build our own building & make it bigger!!! We currently rent, and it’s a small space but perfect for starting out. The ultimate goal is to expand & possibly open a second location.
Besides the restaurant, the Revive My Heart Ministry is taking off into full swing. This year, I am focusing on writing my first book, continuing to record for my growing Podcast & just continue doing what I am called to do, which is serve & share the Gospel.
Big things are coming for us!
Contact Info:
- Website: Mariaseatery.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/revivemyheart_journey?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msilva8611?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Maria Silva
