Columbia welcomed a new business to the community back this summer, as El Paso MC Cocina opened its doors on Main Street.

Ruben Zavala opened the restaurant alongside his wife Emma Sanchez, with major progress on the restaurant first being made earlier this year.

Zavala noted he has some roots in the area, as he previously lived in Monroe County. He now calls New Baden home.

He additionally spoke to his many years of experience working in restaurants, primarily as a server. 

As Zavala recalled, he and Sanchez had entertained the possibility of starting up their own place and exploring life as business owners for some time before they realized an opportunity seemed to be present in Columbia.

Zavala described the first few weeks after El Paso started serving, noting the very positive response from the community.

He specifically spoke about the praise customers had for the food – comments on the restaurant’s Facebook page are broadly positive and enthusiastic – and how happy he and his staff are to serve such a “beautiful community.”

El Paso hasn’t been without its share of struggles, though Zavala said things have generally been positive.

Like many other businesses in the restaurant industry, El Paso has encountered a few staffing issues, with Zavala saying people have simply been difficult to find in order to comfortably fill out the staff.

El Paso’s menu features plenty of staples folks would expect from a Mexican restaurant, with a variety of tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas available as well as seafood and steak options.

The menu also has a specific vegetarian selection and a number of desserts like fried ice cream and churros.

When asked if he and his wife have any plans to expand to a second location, Zavala said it was certainly a possibility down the line as “everyone wants to expand.”

For now, however, he said they’re currently focused on the Columbia location as they strive to provide the best service in the area.

Located at 230 N. Main Street in Columbia, El Paso is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

For more information or to order, visit elpasomxcocina.com or call 618-719-2047.