1 of 4
Raul Segovia is the owner of South of the Border Mexican Restaurant and an integral part of the nine restaurants his extended family owns.
2 of 4
3 of 4
4 of 4
The menu offers a variety of favorite Mexican dishes including fajitas. One of their specialties is Savadorenas pupusas, a hand made corn tortilla filled with your choice of pork, cheese, beans, squash and loroco.
As far as Raul Segovia is concerned, he’s living the American Dream. Twenty years ago, he and his wife Sandra left El Salvador—a country torn apart by ongoing civil wars that had repeatedly devastated his family’s property and businesses—for the U.S. They intended to stay for a few years, hoping to earn enough money to return and expand the family’s bakery. He recalls arriving full of energy and a willingness to work as many hours as possible.
Today, he’s a U.S. citizen, the proud owner of South of the Border Mexican Restaurant and an integral part of the nine restaurants his extended family owns.
It wasn’t an easy process. The first four years were spent working for a local Greek restaurateur who hired him as a dishwasher, but encouraged him as he moved up to busboy, server and kitchen help.
By 2001, he felt confident enough to open a small restaurant in West Point called Las Tunas, but it struggled to attract a following, a fact he attributes to the town’s small size.
Turning his attention to Williamsburg in 2004, he opened South of the Border on Second Street, despite warnings from local residents that the area was already flush with Mexican places.
Despite those concerns, the new restaurant, cheerfully decorated with chiles and Cinco de Mayo posters, was popular almost immediately.
“When you come to a new country to provide service, you’re very proud when it’s successful,” Segovia said. “I consider myself a blessed person with all my family working together.”
In 2006, Segovia became a U.S. citizen and bought a house in Williamsburg for his family of five.
“When I had my business and my citizenship, I had my dream,” he says proudly. “I’d always wanted to go back to my country and expand my business there, but now that I have this, I want to stay here and enjoy my life as an American citizen.”
In 2014, the business empire grew with the opening of the Smokey Griddle Pancake House on Richmond Road, which quickly became popular with the law enforcement community, who get a discount. Segovia mentions how gratifying it is to see so many patrol cars in his restaurant’s parking lot.
The restaurants have also expanded regionally with three more restaurants on the Northern Neck. Each eatery represents a partnership with a different family member, with the menus sharing similarities but maintaining their own identity. He acknowledges that a big reason for the success of the family restaurants is that they all trust each other and take pride in what they do.
Every other weekend, his extended family of nearly 50 gathers for a shared meal cooked by the hosting family. “We share food, we have conversation and at the end of the night, we choose who will host it next,” he explains. “It’s a good way to keep communication going.”
Since opening the family-operated South of the Border a dozen years ago, Segovia acknowledges that work has been constant. The hours are long, generally 14 to 16 a day, and the restaurant is open daily. During his rare time off, he plays soccer, and the restaurant sponsors a soccer league.
Despite the consuming aspects of running a large enterprise, when Segovia answers the phone there, his tone is cheerful, sincere and welcoming as he says, “South of the Border, how can I help you?”
Segovia said he’s never considered any business but the one he’s in. “My kitchen is my inspiration. I know how to cook, I like talking to people, I like to serve and I enjoy conversations with customers.”
That enthusiasm for communication extends to every Latino he sees. He’s not shy about asking what they do for a living or offering advice.
“I tell them that when you’re working for a business, learn everything you can. I always try to motivate my people to learn more so they can stay here and be successful. When you’re honest and work hard, everything is easier to accomplish,” he said.
It’s a subject on which he’s an expert, partly because he was given a hand up when he first began knocking on doors to find work after landing in Virginia.
“My advice is to grab all the opportunity you can handle and take advice when it’s offered to you, like what my first boss did for me. The key to success is sharing with others what you have and not being greedy. And remember that you have to be happy, too.”
After two decades in this country, Segovia’s first 27 years in war-torn El Salvador seem like another world to him. He’s found his happy place.
“Williamsburg is the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s a great place to raise a family and I’m proud to call it home. Life couldn’t be better.”
South of the Border Mexican Restaurant, 322 2nd Street, Williamsburg • 757-565-4848
