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El Matador restaurant finds success in simplicity

By Janae Francis, Standard-Examiner Staff - | Jun 19, 2015
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Chef Tony’s Original El Matador Restaurant and Cantina in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

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Sopapilla Dots, made from sopapillas glazed with honey butter, cinnamon and caramel, were ordered at Chef Tony’s Original El Matador Restaurant and Cantina in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

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The Veracruz, with two cheese enchiladas, two deep fried jumbo shrimp and a ground beef taco was ordered during lunch at El Matador in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

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Chef Tony’s Original El Matador Restaurant and Cantina in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

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The Steak Fajita Platter with marinated steak, grilled with onions and bell peppers with Spanish rice, refried beans guacamole, sour cream and flour tortillas on the side was ordered at lunchtime at El Matador in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

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The Especial with two cheese enchiladas, a ground beef taco and a bean tostada was ordered during lunch at El Matador in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

OGDEN — They say the secret of success is to do what you know.

And Chef Tony Hasratian, owner of Chef Tony’s Original El Matador Restaurant and Cantina, knows about serving food while it’s fresh.

Walking into his large refrigerator with him, one can see that he can’t help but to breathe in the freshness.

“Take a whiff,” he said, noting that the only foods that are frozen at El Matador are shrimp and some chicken strips.

But Mexican food itself was not what Chef Tony knew when he first opened his restaurant 52 years ago.

Chef Tony, who is an Armenian immigrant, first opened an Armenian restaurant in Ogden at the age of 23. He was ready to go to work in order to make it on his own.

“The first thing I learned when I got to this country, if you want a helping hand, look on the end of your arm,” he said.

But it didn’t take Chef Tony long to burn through the $900 in startup funds he had from selling his 1956 Chevy.

He was ready to take his small 16-chair operation he described as a “hole in the wall” to California and start over.

But then a customer suggested he change over to a Mexican restaurant. After all, Ogden only had one of those at the time.

What he developed was a simple, Tex Mex menu that caught on quickly and stayed popular.

Millions of enchiladas, tacos and burritos later, Chef Tony has built a sought-after dining experience that keeps people standing in line just to get in day after day and night after night at the restaurant located at 2564 Ogden Ave.

“Ninety eight percent of business is repeat customers, local people,” he said.

And while Chef Tony prides himself on the menu his family has perfected over the years, he still points to freshness and attention to details for his success.

“We offer quality, friendly, loving service,” he said. “No short cuts. No nickel-and-diming people to death. Give them a little extra salsa. Give them a little bit more.”

And if you think Chef Tony is old fashioned, you are right.

His goal is for you to feel as if you have stepped back to 45 years ago when you walk into his restaurant, that now has 176 chairs.

BRIANA SCROGGINS/Standard-Examiner

El Matador server of 40 years Head Waitress Arlene Tucker takes orders in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

“I don’t want to do it modern,” he said. “I want to do it simple.”

Not only is the look of the restaurant something of the past but so is much of the equipment.

His cash registers are not digital.

He also doesn’t own a cell phone. He doesn’t know how to work the computer.

“We run a simple operation,” he said. “No fancy machines.”

BRIANA SCROGGINS/Standard-Examin

Chef Tony is proud of his wall of fame in the entrance at Chef Tony’s Original El Matador Restaurant and Cantina in Ogden. This photo is from Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

Chef Tony prides himself on his simple, one-fold menu. There’s not one item on the menu that isn’t popular, said head waitress Arlene Tucker, who has been there for 40 years.

Most popular are the daily specials that offer a sopapilla, a fried scone glazed with honey butter, cinnamon and caramel, as part of the deal.

Small, bite-sized Sopapilla Dots have become one of the most popular item on the menu.

The special sopapilla recipe is a creation of Chef Tony’s daughter, Jennifer Hasratian. She first made them for a meeting Chef Tony was going to with the owners of another restaurant in town.

They wanted something delicious and sweet for the meeting and what she made was a huge hit that still knocks it out of the park for customers many years later.

In addition to a wide selection of Mexican dishes and salsa customers claim they’ve developed an addiction for, El Matador also sells a lot of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches too.

It’s just that simple, said Chef Tony.

BRIANA SCROGGINS/Standard-Examiner

Chef Tony poses for a portrait with several members of the Utah Highway Patrol at El Matador in Ogden on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. El Matador offers a $5 special to law enforcement officers in uniform.

Simple hard work is what has worked for Chef Tony and it keeps working for him even now.

“I still come to work every morning after all these years and I’m 76 years old,” he said. “I’m still feeling really strong, really well with God’s grace.”

And with the dedicated following he’s kept, Chef Tony is content with what he’s built. He said he doesn’t need more.

With the exception of the franchise he gave to his brother, who opened the Bountiful El Matador, Chef Tony said franchising is not what he’s after.

“You’d be surprised how many places call us from St. George, how many places call us from Mesquite,” he said.

But his goal is not to grow and lose control of the quality of his product.

Staying small allows him to remain closer to perfection, he said. And he doesn’t need more of what the world has to offer anyway.

“It’s not my responsibility to leave my kids well off,” he said, noting that three of his four children come to work with him every day.

“They are going to get plenty,” he said. “Roll up your sleeves and go to work. Do what I do.”

And he said he won’t be able to take his success with him when he dies anyway.

“You come naked, you go naked. That’s it.”

You may reach reporter JaNae Francis at 801-625-4228. Follow her on Twitter at JaNaeFrancisSE. Like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SEJaNaeFrancis.

CHEF TONY’S ORIGINAL EL MATADOR RESTAURANT & CANTINA

• ADDRESS: 2564 Ogden Ave., Ogden

• PHONE: 801-393-3151

• HOURS: M-TH: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; F-SAT: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; SUN: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

elmatadorogden.com

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