Marco Fiero serves up a taste of home

For a Humboldt County restaurateur, business and culture have always gone hand in hand. Marco Fiero has grown his presence in the community from one single restaurant into four different ones, each shaped by traditions, flavors and values of his upbringing.

Marco Fiero owns Mexican restaurants: El Chipotle, Fiesta Cantina and Grill and Fiesta Cafe. He also owns The Carriage House selling Italian cuisine. Fiero’s approach goes way beyond serving food, it centers on preserving cultural identity and creating spaces where heritage is visible. As his entrepreneurship expanded, so has his role in bringing a deeper sense of connection to the local Humboldt dining scene.

“Being an immigrant coming from another country like Mexico and knowing the division of finding opportunities in your hometown, so coming here you get the chance to grow and learn to be human and learn good things and come to grow,” Fiero said.

Having faced limited opportunities and some challenges in his hometown, he views success as something larger than a personal achievement. Since he began owning restaurants seven years ago, this mindset has guided his business. A sense of purpose resonates back home for Fiero, explaining that he first learned to cook by watching his mom. Fiero never took classes, instead he learned from observing.

“It’s always been in my blood to have the ambition to grow as a person, to help my family and to help the Hispanic community and my spirit of cooking for others,” Fiero said.

Now with about 70 employees at his four restaurants in Humboldt, Fiero feels at peace expanding his love for cuisine to the community. One of his employees, Iganico Santiago, who has been working with Fiero for five years at the El Chipotle location, is bonded by the same joy for cooking.

“I love talking to the customers and building conversations and cooking, I enjoy it,” Santiago said. “Working for Fiero is great, he’ll get on your head if you aren’t to standards but also gets to you if you are.” Santiago laughs, praising Fiero in his management.

Owning a restaurant may not come as easy as some perceive, especially during the pandemic. Fiero recalls that being a huge challenge for him and his business as he had just opened in 2018, causing issues of almost shutting down. But with the help of some partners in Humboldt it made him realize within times like these, your dreams matter most to pull through.

“I’m so happy because the county of Humboldt are very accepting of what I bring to the table, I think in this time where we’ve been super busy and I’m grateful and I even try to support the community the same way they do me by sourcing things locally,” Fiero said. “Like carne, sometimes people come from Willow Creek and sell me chiles. Whenever I can, I try to give back to the community the same way.”

Fiero’s story is about more than restaurants, it’s about roots, risks and resilience. From crossing borders with determination and building restaurants that now bridge into our community. Each dish carries a piece of the journey and memories of where he came from.

“Whoever you are and you have a dream, it can be a reality, like I’m a person that had come from the ground up from nothing,” Fiero said. “I came to the United States without a penny in my pocket and look now where I came, and yes it hasn’t been easy but I’m sure if you dream about something it can come true.”

CORRECTION: The article has been corrected to reflect that Marco Fiero’s Italian restaurant is the Carriage House.