A new Peruvian restaurant is Reno Public Market’s latest addition. Meet the family behind the restaurant.

On July 28, Cuzco Peruvian Cuisine held its grand opening. Dozens of people lined up before the doors even opened at 11 a.m. And the steady crowds continued throughout the day.

Owner Roberto Caballero and his family worked nonstop cooking and preparing orders. The response from the community was overwhelming.

“I’m feeling amazed. I didn’t expect all this crowd and I really, I’m very grateful for the people for the response of the Reno community. I don’t have words to describe right now. I’m very busy. So sorry about that,” Caballero said.

Opening day was such a success, that by the time they closed their doors, they had run out of ingredients. They were forced to close the next day in order to restock.

Cuzco opened its doors on a special day for the Peruvian community.

“July 28, Independence of Peru,” Caballero said. “We didn’t have any place to go to gather. Now, they [Peruvians] have a place they can come.”

The Caballero family will be serving up authentic dishes like ceviche and arroz chaufa.

Caballero, originally from Chimbote, Peru, has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years, and is thrilled to share his culinary heritage.

“I’m really excited because I want people to try. That’s the only thing I want — people to try and they can judge if they like it or not,” he said.

Peruvian cuisine is a mix of flavors from around the world, Caballero said.

“For example, from the Chinese cuisine, we have the arroz chaufa, which is fried rice. And then also the ceviche, the way that we make it now is influenced by Japan,” he said.

Before coming to the U.S., Caballero worked most of his life as a server in Aruba, Japan, and Costa Rica. Along the way, he learned from a variety of chefs. But cooking is a big part of Peruvian culture, he said.

“One thing in Peru is all the Peruvians, we all cook, that’s our passion. I don’t know why. But if you go to Peru, any house, any family, everybody, like, loves to cook. So it’s natural,” he said.

Cooking has been Caballero’s lifelong hobby. When the pandemic provided him with extra free time, he began preparing meals for friends and exploring diverse menus. It was during this period that he decided to turn his passion into a business.

“I was cooking a lot, I was selling a lot, and then after COVID was gone, everybody still called me, ‘Hey, are you still cooking?’ And I said no,” he said.

Cuzco represents years of effort by the Caballero family.

“I always dream of having a restaurant and showing the people how our food is. I couldn’t do it earlier because my kids were in school. Now that my kids are grown up,I think it’s the time to follow my dreams,” he said.

Caballero’s wife, Olga Alegre, and his brother, Antonio, are deeply involved in the business. And both are helping in the kitchen.

For Olga, this is also a dream come true.

“For years it’s been the two of us together trying to get ahead, to get better in this aspect, in the culinary aspect, and really and I’m very happy about this,” Olga said in Spanish.

Cuzco Peruvian Cuisine is open from Monday through Thursday until 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on weekends at the Reno Public Market.

This story was shared with permission from KUNR and originally reported by Maria Palma in English and published on July 31, 2024.