MidWeek Central - May 19, 2021

FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 19, 2021
PERFECT PITCH
Girl Scout from Wahiawā earns award for excellent marketing skills.
SEE PAGE 2
BEST IN BOWLING
A Leilehua High graduate and her college team are national champs. SEE PAGE 5
Wahiawā Eatery Has Hometown Flavor
A PUBLICATION OF
AN EDITION OF
(From left) Shift leader Neria Macadangdang with servers Alexia Reyes and Vianey Perez showcase some food at Taqueria El Ranchero in Wahiawā. ANTHONY CONSILLIO PHOTO
TBY GINGER KELLER
he concept behind Hector Garcia Go- mez’s Wahiawā eatery, Taqueria El Ranchero, which is slated to open a
second location soon in Kapolei, is a person- al one.
In 2001, Garcia Gomez, who was 21 years old at the time, was a member of the U.S. Army, stationed in Hawaiʻi. The San Francis- co native longed for Mexican food — along with an environment that felt like home — but nothing came close. When he was sent back to Oʻahu in 2014, Garcia Gomez decided it was time open his own restaurant.
“I always think back to the time when I was a soldier and there was a lot of Hispanics in the military; we all get homesick,” he shares. “When we’re in Hawaiʻi, we crave our food. So, I identified with that, with what soldiers want, which is food from their hometown.
“Opening this taqueria means a lot to me because it’s not just for me, it’s for everybody in Hawaiʻi who’s feeling homesick. It helped me feel at home. It’s not only about the food
SEE PAGE 10
MILILANI
CONGRATULATIONS Class of 2021
Everyday 5am-9pm
623-2666
95-130 Kamehameha Hwy