Downtown GR welcomes new cafe, ribbon cutting officiated by Mayor Heartwell

 Downtown Grand Rapids Welcomes Corazόn Taqueria/Cafe

What:       Open House and Ribbon Cutting officiated by Mayor George Heartwell

                                    When:       Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

                                    Where:            122 South Division, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m., the new restaurant Corazόn Taqueria/Cafe is celebrating its Grand Opening with Mayor George Heartwell officiating. The community is invited to meet the owners Ryan Burns and Andy Serba, and to sample the offerings of both the restaurant Corazόn and catering company Afternoon Delight.

“Fresh, local, and affordable” is the main mantra of the restaurant, and cooking with as few preservatives and additives as possible.  Favorite menu items include pumpkin molé brisket tacos, and feijoda stew—a Brazilian specialty of chorizo black beans, chicken, and pork, and there is specialty gelato from Fennville’s Palazzolo for dessert. For gluten-free options, try any of the many signature tacos.

The story of Corazόn begins with two students attending Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) who loved to cook. Andy took a more traditional approach, attending the Sechia Institute for Culinary Education at GRCC, while Ryan studied engineering/plastics manufacturing. They both worked at Sanchez where they became fast friends. Andy became the sous chef there, and Ryan went on to cook for the Gilmore Group, never looking back at his original degree.

In 2009, Ryan and Andy began Afternoon Delight catering, and in 2010 they operated a vending cart for six months. While offering free samples of homemade soup and homemade pulled pork to entice customers, they ran into a corporate representative that hooked them up and their catering business surged. In looking for a kitchen downtown to be close to the corporate world and grow their catering business, the new restaurant space on South Division was perfect. The entrepreneurs can now operate a storefront restaurant and introduce the community to their food, while easily catering to the business community. “There is a lot of positive energy here,” said Ryan about the Heartside neighborhood. Andy continued, “A lot of people are really excited to be down here, and we’re trying to keep them happy with the best fresh local ‘bite to eat’.”

The entrepreneurs are excited to help their clientele eat healthier.  The New Year’s Resolution catering special serves delicious food to a minimum of 10 people, while making it the healthiest possible. They are also looking at what they can do to help such organizations as the Literacy Council, and even the public schools. Ryan explained when talking about their reasonable prices, “We are not here to get rich, we are here to help make the world better.”

Hours: Mon. – Fri. 10 – 4 p.m.  

Phone: ­­­(616) 454-3847, http://afternoondelightgr.com, facebook.com/CorazonRestaurant