Javier Acuña was still in his 20s and relatively new to the United States when he decided to buy a small restaurant on Newark’s Main Street. The Colombia native had studied industrial engineering and business, not hospitality, but he had worked part time in restaurants as a college student and was determined.
Twenty-one years later, Acuña owns Hakuna Hospitality Group, which operates Santa Fe Mexican Grill and Del Pez Mexican Gastropub, coming to The Grove in Newark this fall. He is also chairman of the Delaware Restaurant Foundation, which seeks to strengthen the industry workforce through education and mentorship.
Jeff Gosnear, president of Grotto Pizza and chairman of the Delaware Restaurant Association, says Acuña is one of the hardest-working restaurateurs in the business: “He’s good for the industry and he’s good for Delaware.”
Meghan Gardner, director of the Delaware Restaurant Foundation, agrees. “Javier is a true champion of the hospitality industry. Not only is he a thoughtful and strategic leader but he also isn’t afraid to ask, ‘What is the problem we need to solve?’ and then work on solutions.”
Acuña developed his problem-solving abilities on the job. Indeed, he learned to pivot long before the term became a pandemic buzzword.
Coming to America
Acuña grew up in Bogotá, founded in 1538 as Santa Fé de Bacatá. For much of the city’s history, the Santa Fe district was the main urban area, and it would become the name of Acuña’s future restaurant.
Acuña’s father was an economist who, along with Acuña’s aunt, started a school for children struggling with conventional curricula. His mother was an administrative assistant. They met at age 16 and went on to have three children.
Because their parents worked, the trio of siblings grew close. “We learned how to take care of each other,” Acuña says. Their grandmother often made their meals. “She was a wonderful cook. …Her specialty was rice, which is complicated to make if you want to do it right.” She saved the coveted “crust” on the bottom for her grandson.
Acuña studied industrial engineering in Colombia but jumped at his sister’s invitation to live in Delaware, where she’d moved after graduating from high school. Why the First State? Their uncle worked in IT at a bank here.
Acuña knew little about the state and was equally unfamiliar with the restaurant industry. It didn’t stop him from getting a job in a Mexican restaurant while attending Delaware Technical Community College and Wesley College. He notes that the hospitality industry is ideal for people looking for part-time employment.
Exploring opportunities
Acuña was a dishwasher, line cook and expediter. When his English improved, he waited tables. His experience in the kitchen helped bridge the tense gap between the front and back of the house.
A friend from Colombia introduced Acuña to Picnic Mexitacos, a tiny downtown Newark restaurant popular with immigrants and their families. On weekends, everyone donned their Sunday best to eat authentic cuisine. “It was just wonderful,” Acuña says. When he learned the owner wanted to sell, he used his savings to purchase the eatery.
The restaurant’s name didn’t resonate with Acuña, who chose Santa Fe because it represented his hometown and sounded familiar to American diners. The new restaurateur expanded and secured a liquor license—no easy feat in Newark. “The priest at the church across the street gave us his blessing,” Acuña recalls. The priest joked that he had wine in the church, so why shouldn’t Acuña serve wine across the street?
Originally, Santa Fe served every kind of protein in tacos, including tripe, cheek, head and brain. Much of Newark was under construction in the early aughts, and workers knew they could get homeland favorites at the small restaurant.
Embracing change
By 2009, when the construction workers weren’t as plentiful, Acuña realized he needed a more mainstream menu, so he dropped certain dishes. (Cow tongue tacos lasted until around 2020.) However, other items have been on the menu for 20 years. Consider alambres, meat and vegetables served with tortillas.
Santa Fe’s menu is influenced by recipes from Oaxaca and Mexico City. Still, Acuña gradually incorporated dishes from Puerto Rico, along with Colombia and other countries in Central and South America to appeal to the university’s diverse population.
A Wilmington Santa Fe opened in 2010, and in 2014, Acuña opened Del Pez in Newark to specialize in seafood. (The Peach Blossom Eatery now occupies the space.) At the time, gastropub chefs were turning tavern fare on its head. Why not do the same with familiar Mexican food?
An ample location on the Wilmington Riverfront allowed him to give Del Pez a colorful atmosphere with creative takes on Latin American ingredients. You’ll still find plenty of seafood options at Del Pez, but they’ll likely be an Angry Mexican sushi roll or grilled Spanish octopus in a crispy tortilla. Novel items include shrimp-and-spinach enchiladas, short rib chimichangas, and a burger with chipotle mayonnaise and fried habanero peppers.
Between the creative cuisine, the lively bar and the vibrant décor, including a mural of Frida Kahlo, Del Pez is “about the experience,” says Acuña, who closed the Newark Del Pez to focus on the larger city site.
His ability to adapt was tested again when the building housing the Wilmington Santa Fe was razed. Construction on 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. commenced in 2017, and as the years passed, Acuña considered nixing the Wilmington concept. The lease terms, however, were appealing, so Santa Fe returned to a fresh corner space in 2023.
Earlier this year, the 6,500-square-foot Del Pez in Glen Mills opened in an old Bertucci’s with a patio and proximity to affluent neighbors. Acuña decided to use the pizza oven to make pies with a south-of-the-border flavor. However, there are no plans to bring pizza to Wilmington or the new restaurant in The Grove in Newark.
Looking forward
Del Pez is returning to its college town roots, but it’s hardly the same. The new construction offers 6,700 square feet, accommodating about 300 seats. There is outdoor seating, which Acuña says is a must, and the size and style are a prototype for possible Del Pez locations. Meanwhile, he hasn’t ruled out more Santa Fe restaurants.
Acuña, who received the Delaware Restaurant Association’s 2014 Restaurateur of the Year, isn’t all work and no play. The father of two travels with his family and spends as much time outdoors with them as possible.
The avid learner is also passionate about reading and attending classes and seminars. “I’m all about leadership,” he explains. “It’s always appealed to me, and it’s a huge part of restaurants.” He’s also an advocate for community engagement. Restaurants that thrive, he says, are managed by area residents for area residents.
Gosnear gives Acuña credit. “He works his tail off [and] he cares about his employees,” he points out. What’s more, “He’s just a great guy.”
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