Valley-based and family-owned Mochilero Kitchen announced its expansion into north Scottsdale this May.

After recently celebrating the three year anniversary for its Peoria location, Mochilero Kitchen will open its second location in the Scottsdale Horizon Shopping Center on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Thompson Peak Parkway, according to a press release.

Mochilero Kitchen is owned and operated by brother and sister duo Jorge Cota and Meliza Miranda. The pair got the inspiration for their Mexican cuisine restaurant after Cota took a long research trip to Mexico in 2019. There he visited 23 out of the 32 different states, trying as many authentic dishes he could find throughout the region.

Along the way, Cota met with other chefs and families and spent time in the restaurants, markets and homes of the people living in villages and coastal towns.

“We went with the mission to get inspired so we could take the most popular and traditional dishes you find in those coastal towns and bring them home,” Cota said in the release. “Here we’re able to put our own twist on the dishes and really create something special.”

Cota and Miranda successfully opened their first Mochilero Kitchen in Peoria in April 2020, just as the pandemic started.

“It was a tough start, but we went day by day and in the end we persevered and learned a lot during those three years,” Miranda said in the release. “Never did I think we would be opening our second location this soon but the response has been tremendous and we are so excited to show Scottsdale diners what our vibrant and authentic Mexican cuisine is all about.”

Miranda comes with a decade of experience working in the beverage industry as a state manager for Constellation Brands. She’s proud that Mochilero Kitchen in Scottsdale will offer more than 30 different types of tequila and mescals, among other fine wines and spirits, the release stated.

Cota, who’s resume includes a decade of experience in chef roles at the Ritz Carlton, Phoenician and JW Marriott, runs Mochilero like a scratch kitchen where everything is made to order, fresh daily, using the finest ingredients. He spends his time in the back of the house, focusing on the flavor profiles and stand-out dishes like his Classic Mole, which was a dish he grew up eating from his grandmother who was from southern Mexico.

A favorite at Mochilero Kitchen are the variations of tacos, including a vegetarian mushroom taco and the Mariscos, a raw seafood offering that is cooked in lime juice.

“These are the most authentic and savory dishes you will find from the different various regions of Mexico,” Miranda said in the release. “When you combine our cuisine with the atmosphere, I think we have created something that has a very traditional, warm feeling and is family-friendly and timeless all at the same time.”

Mochilero Kitchen will also offer acoustic entertainment some weekend nights. The restaurant is open for lunch starting at 11 a.m. and dinner menu starts at 3 p.m seven days a week.

The Scottsdale restaurant will also be looking to hire 60 new employees for its location in the coming weeks and a job fair is being planned in May.

Mochilero Kitchen in north Scottsdale is located at 14850 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. unit 117.