La Comida hits the big 5-0

La Comida, perpetual winner of the CN&R readers’ poll for Best Cheap Eats, is celebrating 50 years of food, family and community in Chico. Owner Mike Pavis says it was his dad, Mike Pavis Sr., who started the business and made it what it is. In the early years, Mike Sr. was famous for his friendliness—he would sit and socialize with diners regularly. Today, the restaurant is known for its quick in-and-out service and a family atmosphere that invites people to bring their kids and feel at home. The food, too, keeps people coming back—it’s affordable, comforting and offers a dash of nostalgia for longtime customers. Over the years, La Comida has given back to the community by putting on fundraiser dinners for Shasta Elementary School plays and sponsoring little league, soccer and roller hockey teams. Visit the Chico location at 954 Mangrove Ave. for Taco Tuesdays or try one of their new lunch specials. There’s also a Paradise location (at 6155 Skyway). Go to lacomidarestaurants.com for more info.

What’s your first memory of La Comida?

I remember very vividly being here with my dad when he was measuring this place, before anything ever happened, just to see if it was the right size place. I was 5 years old, but I remember being up at that front corner and he handed me the end of a tape measure and he said, “Run back to the back wall, put it up against the wall.” I remember that like it was yesterday.

What was it like growing up here?

When I was 14 years old, that’s when I really started working for real. I had my own schedule, my own shifts, busing tables, washing dishes. At lunch time, there would be a line of nothing but high school kids from the register out the door. Those high school kids from the ’80s, they’re coming in with their kids now. I’ll find parents back here sometimes pointing out their face in a little league picture to their kids.

Do you have a family that will take over the business from you?

I have a wife and three children; they’ve all worked here. My son might want to take this over, I keep on checking. I’m not in a hurry, I’m still pretty young.

What would you say is the secret to your success?

Quality, value, customer service—those are the big three. I mean, I don’t know if people realize that every single thing we do here is from scratch, every day, fresh. We have a consistency here, people are amazed that it tastes the same over the years. In 48 years now, we’ve had two cooks. When our original cook retired, her daughter took over for her, and she’s been doing it ever since. Now that’s consistency.