For Marco Matute, owning a restaurant is about more than serving food. It is about family, hard work, and becoming part of a community.
Matute is the owner of The New Chester Diner Family Restaurant in Chester, which he operates with his brothers. The diner has been in their hands for nearly four years. Their other restaurant, Nyack Diner Family Restaurant in Rockland County, has been part of their journey for about seven years.
For Matute and his brothers, the path to owning their own restaurants grew out of years of working in the restaurant industry. Before becoming business owners, the brothers worked together and separately for different restaurant owners. Eventually, an opportunity came from Matute’s former boss.
“He called me and told me he wanted me to take over the restaurant,” Matute recalled. “I didn’t have the money, so he gave me formal payments to him.” The opportunity gave Matute and his brothers a chance to build something of their own.
“The American dream,” Matute said when asked what motivated him to become a business owner. “When you get many years in this business, you don’t want to work for somebody else. You want your own business.”
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Three brothers, one family business
Family has remained at the center of Matute’s journey. His brothers are also chefs, and the family has worked together through both difficult and successful times.
“Family is my priority,” Matute said. “Family is family. That’s my best.”
His wife, Erika, is also involved in the family business, and their children have grown up around the restaurant industry. Their son is a chef and their daughter is a teacher.
Running two restaurants means the family spends much of its time moving between locations and working together. At the Chester diner, the brothers and other employees keep the kitchen and dining room running, while Matute divides his time between the two restaurants.
For Matute, that family connection is also part of what makes the challenges worthwhile.
Earning the community’s trust
When Matute and his brothers first took over the Chester location, they faced an uphill battle. The restaurant had an existing reputation in the community, and some local customers were hesitant to return.
“One of my huge challenges here was getting customers,” Matute said. Some people mistakenly believed that the new owners were still connected with the previous ownership.
The brothers eventually changed the restaurant’s name to The New Chester Diner Family Restaurant, helping customers understand that it was now under new ownership.
“It takes a little time,” Matute said. “Little by little, and then you get busy, and then slow. I think it’s better to go little by little.”
Over time, customers began to recognize the new owners and the food they were serving. The diner also attracts travelers who pass through the area along Route 17, including customers who discovered the restaurant and continue to stop whenever they are nearby.
Matute said he enjoys getting to know people through his restaurants. Being a business owner has allowed him to meet people from different communities in a way that he would not have experienced simply working behind the scenes for someone else.
“You learn a lot of things about this community,” he said. “When you own your own restaurant, you know a lot of people. That’s very important.”
He and his family also donate food and provide support to community activities when they can.
Learning from every customer
For Matute, operating a restaurant requires patience and a willingness to listen.
“You have to be patient with a customer,” he said. “If somebody doesn’t like something, you just say, ‘Okay, we make another one,’ or whatever.”
That attitude has helped shape the way the family operates its restaurants. Customer feedback, even when it is critical, can provide an opportunity to improve.
The diner serves traditional American fare, with breakfast and burgers among its popular choices. But for Matute, a successful restaurant is ultimately about more than a menu.
“When people come and say, ‘Oh, thanks for your food,’” he said, “that’s very encouraging.”
A business built through perseverance
Matute knows firsthand how quickly circumstances can change. His first restaurant had been open only a few months when the COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurants to close their dining rooms.
The family switched to takeout and worked long hours to keep the business going. During that difficult period, Matute and his brothers did not take pay, focusing instead on paying the restaurant’s bills, rent, and food costs.
“We work very hard,” he said. “We don’t take payment. We just make sure we pay the bills.”
The difficult period lasted roughly a year and a half, but the family kept going.
Today, Matute sees being a local business owner as both difficult and rewarding.
“I think it’s a good thing for me,” he said. “You contribute to the community. You serve the community, and then with your heart. It’s hard, but it feels good.”
Looking toward the next generation, Matute hopes his children will appreciate what the family has built. His son is already working as a chef, although currently for another employer.
“Everybody wants to be boss,” Matute joked.
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