We had the good fortune of connecting with Andre Lomeli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andre, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
-The path to success is not linear.
-It’s how you manage the highs and lows.
-Get comfortable with stress and living on the edge.
-Nothing is easy, or impossible.

My mom had a saying when we were kids (when we played sports), “You are only as good as your next game”. It was a call to remain focused on the task at hand through good times and bad. I hold myself to that same standard in business.

I jokingly let my staff know, “You are only as good as your next shift”.

What should our readers know about your business?
Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about.

-Each concept pays homage to my Mexican roots.

Mal Pan represents to my Yucatecan heritage. The decor, branding, and the menu represents elements from Merida, Yucatan and pays tribute to my grandparents/great parents.

El Malo and Hermanita represents my time growing up in Southern California. Taco shops, late night burritos and dimly lit bars. I spent a lot of time in the border city Tijuana and a little further down the coast in Ensenada. The Plaza Midwood restaurants remind me of those times crossing the border to party and eat tacos in TJ. Simpler times haha.

It was my time living in San Diego, as well as working for my aunt’s restaurant in Orange CA (Gabbi’s Kitchen) where I discovered my fascination with the old world recipes of Mexican cuisine. From making corn masa from the kernel using nixtamalization method, to making Cochinita Pibil with a scratch made recado rojo. I always felt like regional Mexican cuisine was so complex, beautiful and under represented, even in SoCal.

How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way.

-With risk taking, perseverance, mental toughness, and an undying belief in yourself. Owning a restaurant in today’s climate is not easy. It takes a village. There are so many challenges both internally and external, but once you experience the ups and downs, it’s another notch on the belt. We learn lessons daily.

We opened Mal Pan three months before the Covid shutdowns. Times were unstable and stressful, but we made it through with grit and having a no excuses mentality. During those times, we were able to fine tune our menu and the overall operation. Especially take out, I wanted the guest to have as close as an experience as possible eating our food at home as they would dining in.

It seemed like the industry in general was comfortable using the pandemic as a convenient excuse to provide a lesser customer experience. My staff would look at me like a crazy person. But I believed our guests deserved our best, no matter the circumstances. Our guests look to us to provide a temporary relief from their own lives, I’ve always taken that seriously. It’s why we are in the hospitality business. It’s what keeps me up at night.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
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If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Better be hungry. Here are of few of my favorite (non Chango Food Group) spots in Charlotte:

-Breakfast at Eddie’s Place
-Salud in Noda. Even if grandma is visiting, I’m taking her to Salud.
-Idlewild for cocktails
-Pizza Baby for roman style pizza
-Pickleball at Rally
-Charlotte FC game with pre and post game at the French quarter Uptown
-Get my Vermut and wine fix at Substrate in Optimist Park
-A trip to Mooresville to the GoPro race track and race go karts. Then cool off at the Quarry at Carrigan Farms.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Restaurants to take a village to operate. I certainly wouldn’t be here without my family, staff and most importantly my fiance Ariel.

Website: eatmalpan.com & elmalotacos.com

Instagram: @eatmalpan @elmalogram @barhermanita

Facebook: @eatmalpan @elmalogram @barhermanita

Image Credits
Camille Maede
Chris Rodarte

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutNorthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.