Restoring a Community Cornerstone

Every small town needs a hometown diner, a hub where locals can share a good meal and connect with other people from around town. For nearly 20 years, the Otis Grill had served that function in the town of Otis Orchards, just east of Spokane. So when the Otis Grill closed in April of 2022, the residents of Otis Orchards were devastated. Not only were they losing a great option for a family meal, but it felt as if they were losing a piece of their community.

Luckily, at that very moment, Mario and Belky Ruiz were looking for a place to open their next restaurant. In the time since they've reopened that hometown diner (now called the Otis Restaurant) and added a lot of their own personality and cultural heritage — and the community loves it.

"I always want to go somewhere where they treat me like family," said one guest, gesturing around the full restaurant. "This whole community is so close. I know I'll be here again."

Mario and Belky met in college in California 37 years ago after emigrating from Guatemala and Ecuador, respectively. According to Mario, they sat next to each other the first day of school and were married the following year. After living in Los Angeles for 15 years, they moved to Spokane in 2001 to raise their children.

The Ruizes previously owned Marandos Bar & Restaurant in Spokane Valley, which closed in December 2022 after nearly five years. When they were preparing to open the new Otis Restaurant, they knew that the character of the restaurant would be a combination of the old Otis Grill and Marandos.

The menu is a hybrid, combining classic diner specialties with Mexican favorites. The popular Otis Burger and chicken-fried steak share a page on the menu with enchiladas, pupusas, and carne asada. Belky has also been experimenting with fusion dishes that combine the best of both worlds, like the Birria Burger.

"I don't think I have tried a plate I don't enjoy. They have a very unique style of Latin American food," said one customer. "Their fusion is pretty cool. I come for the burgers, but stuff like this (flautas platter) fills me up pretty good too."

Mario takes special pride in saying that everything on the menu is made from scratch every day, which is a difference that customers can taste. Dishes are made with fresh, Washington-grown ingredients to ensure that every flavor is as vibrant as possible. Customers constantly rave about the "home-cooked" quality of each dish.

"We wanted to expand the home-cooking flavor — that's what we provide in the whole experience," Mario said, smiling at his wife.

Belky agreed, leaning over him to add, "When you see an empty plate, you know they enjoyed our food. When you see the face of the people and they say, 'Thank you; it's good,' there's a lot of joy in sharing it."