Today we’d like to introduce you to Pia Beramendi.
Pia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I developed my love for cooking at a young age. Baking and experimenting in the kitchen are my biggest passions. I love trying new things and creating new flavors. I attended the culinary programs at Oxnard College but was unable to finish the entire program due to medical reasons. I worked as a restaurant manager at a Mexican Restaurant. When I begam pregnant with my first child I would use restless nights to create a menu that represented my vision, culture, and my love and passion for cooking. During those late nights of pregnancy, I started writing down recipes and menu ideas. In 2022 we were lucky enough to get a loan from loved ones that helped us open Munay for the love of Peruvian food. Together with my mom and my aunt, we stated this journey together. Our combined straights and passions in the kitchen have helped us get to where we are today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to success is never a smooth one. We have faced many challenges with the restaurant and in our personal lives along the way. We lost a dear family member just one month after opening to the public. We had to deal with grieving while running our new restaurant. We were the new place in town and also the first and only Peruvian restaurant in Simi Valley. This meant we had to educate the community on what Peruvian food is and what we are trying to represent with our dishes. We were bullied by other Peruvian restaurant owners in the area and received many negative comments claiming that our food was not authentic Peruvian food. All of this made us more resilient and made us want to do better every day. We have not completed our dream, we are still working towards it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Munay Peruvian Restaurant?
We would like people to understand the name. Munay means “love” in the native Peruvian language of Quechua and love is the backbone of everything we do in the restaurant. Every dish and every detail is made with love and passion for the Peruvian culture and the culinary industry. We are known for our dishes like Don Loma Saltado, Ceviche, and our Torta Munay, but most importantly we are known for our service. We work to cultivate a connection with each of our customers by explaining a little bit about our culture and the blend of cultures Peruvian dishes originate from. We want customers to have an experience when dining with us, we do not just serve dishes, we craft our dishes for our customers. If you are hungry for adventure, please come by and allow us to transport you to some of our most treasured memories through our food. We offer catering and bakery items such as delicious pies, cakes, and desserts year-round. During the holiday season we offer full Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We had the worse luck with our landlords, but this had helped us learn from these experiences and help other potential new restaurants owners not to make the same mistakes we did, and have landlords take advantage from them, we are always happy to help other restaurant dreamers like us, by sharing our experience with the do’s and don’ts. I believe everything good or bad comes with a learning experience. I was very lucky to be born in Peru which has some of the best food in the world. I have been lucky to be blessed with a family who is able to be part of this dream. In business I have been lucky to have amazing customers who support us and spread the word. This has led us to have many food influencers come, enjoy our food, and give us such nice reviews.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.munayperuvianrestaurant.com
