It's Always A Party When Visiting Fiesta Veracruz

Victor Castill with his wife and three children.

At Fiesta Veracruz Mexican Restaurant, located at 37 West Locus Street in Wilmington, Ohio, Victor Castillo—the owner—prides himself on creating an environment where they serve “good food, quick, with good service.”

Victor came to Wilmington, Ohio, in 2002, along with a large Hispanic community, as a result of Airborne’s presence at the airpark. Victor earned a business degree in Mexico and began working and managing Mexican restaurants after arriving in the United States. While serving, he met his now wife, Crystal, and got married a few years later. According to Victor, he spoke very little English at first and had to rely on texting to get to know each other. Today, the couple has three children.

Victor always dreamed of owning his own business. He remembers walking into the old Casano’s Pizza restaurant (where Fiesta Veracruz is now) and appreciating the interior and their patio. When Casano’s went out of business, Victor sought out the building owner in hopes of leasing the space to open a new Mexican restaurant. He talked with another tenant in the building and found that one of the three owners was Bill Marine, so Victor left his phone number at Bill Marine Ford and received a call three days later. When Bill asked him why Wilmington needs another Mexican restaurant, the ambitious and bright-eyed entrepreneur replied, “I know I can do it, I have a big vision. I know Wilmington needs more restaurants.”

The building owners initially only wanted to sell, but Victor was able to negotiate and start with a lease in May of 2016. Fiesta Veracruz opened on August 3rd of that same year because “the community was waiting,” even though their liquor license would take almost a year afterwards to get, according to Victor. 

Several years later, in 2022, Victor finally purchased the building when he was financially ready and all three previous building owners were on the same page. He now owns the entire building, including the spaces occupied by the barbershops and salons, and the upstairs, which is used for storage.

The name for the restaurant was inspired by Victor’s home state in Mexico, Veracruz. Veracruz is a major port located in the Gulf of Mexico/America. He explained that when selecting a name, his family liked the idea of ‘Fiesta’, which means ‘party’ in Spanish, because when they visit Veracruz, “it’s a party there.” He continued, “Every time we go there, all [my family] sees is fiesta… because that’s our tradition there,” explaining that celebrations are common in Mexico when someone comes to visit who you haven’t seen in a long time. Victor’s father, 13 siblings, and their families still reside in Veracruz, Mexico. 

According to Victor, when they created the menu at Fiesta, they tried to be mindful of consumer preferences and also used many family recipes. The most popular dish on the menu is Arroz Con Pollo (or “ACP”)—rice, grilled chicken, and cheese. “People like the simple stuff,” said Victor. He mentioned that the dish is a top seller among all ages. 

During the initial confusion of the pandemic, Victor chose to close for a month for his employees’ and their families’ safety. During this time, he made repairs to the restaurant, but then had to get creative, so he started designating hours for servers, even when the restaurant was carry-out only. “We tried to make sure that everybody had enough to survive,” said Victor, and he was very appreciative of the community’s support.

According to Victor, he enjoys owning a restaurant in Wilmington because it allows him to connect with the community through events and fundraising opportunities, while also providing for his family and staff. He stated, “Our wonderful employees play an instrumental part in the success of the restaurant.  I couldn’t ask for a better group of people.” He also expressed his appreciation for the community for being “welcoming and supportive.” He continued, “That’s one of my favorite things, to be a part of this beautiful community.”

In addition to their dine-in and take-out services, Fiesta Veracruz also offers catering. They can cater any event, according to Victor, and have even catered weddings that requested servers. Fiesta Veracruz also has a delivery service at Ole Town Tavern, where customers can scan a QR code at the tavern and have food delivered.

Regarding positive changes he hopes to see, Victor expressed that he would like to see the schools, churches, and community work together for local children. He specifically mentioned discouraging drug use, which he believes would solve many other issues in the community. He also hopes to see more business development in Wilmington and encourages individuals to support local businesses. 

In light of Cinco De Mayo coming up on May 5th, Victor noted that the restaurant will have a special dish for the holiday. He touched on the importance of the holiday for not only Mexico, but also the United States. He explained that Mexico’s victory against France in the Battle of Puebla may have also helped prevent France from aiding the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Fiesta Veracruz is open Mon–Thu 11am to 10pm, Fri–Sat 11am to 10:30pm, and Sun 11am to 9pm. To learn more about Fiesta Veracruz, visit fiestaveracruzmexicanrestaurant.com.