Pasadena’s Original Mexican Restaurant, Mijares, Donates Portion of Sales to Ronald McDonald House for Families In Need

Mijares Mexican Restaurant gave back to the community it has been serving for 96 years by donating a portion of food and bar sales on Monday this week,  supporting the Pasadena Ronald McDonald house and the families that rely on its generous services.

“We like to help out the local charities and non-profits like the Ronald McDonald House. They do an amazing job providing services for children and their families,” said Mijares Mexican Restaurant Manager/Partner Tom Recendez about the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House which provides lodging and other services for families of patients ranging from infancy to age 21 during lengthy medical care treatments.

It is no surprise that the beloved restaurant is keen on giving back to the community with over nine decades of Pasadena roots under its belt.

Mijares was started by Recendez’s grandmother out of her home in 1920 where she made tamales and tortillas for the local neighbors. The humble beginnings would continue for a couple decades serving locals out of her home kitchen until Mijare’s set up shop in their only and current building that still exists today on Palmetto Drive in 1944, just several blocks a part from the Ronald McDonald house.

“We’ve been at this location ever since. We still make our tamales the same exact way Grandma did,” said Recendez who explained that the restaurant stone grinds corn by hand and everything is made entirely in house.

Mijares likes to keep their operation local by featuring companies such as Glendale’s Fish King as their supplier for fresh seafood and Altadena’s Patticakes for artisanal dessert options.

“We have families that continue to come to Mijares that span as far back as four generations,” said Recendez. “I call it the ‘Mexican Cheers’. Most people that come in here don’t need a menu and we like to operate on a first name basis.”

Maintaining their family friendly presence comes in much more than famed authentic dishes and margaritas, but also by serving the community when they can.

The McDonald’s family provides between ten to fifteen percent of operating costs for the Pasadena house, according to Pasadena Ronald McDonald House Director Elizabeth Dever. The remaining funds are made possible through partnerships and efforts made possible like Monday’s dining event at Mijares.

“We have to raise our other funds through our community. Having partnerships like the one we have with Mijares is a win-win scenario and we really appreciate their support and all of the other local donors of the Ronald McDonald house,” said Dever. “We really do need the support and the families rely on us to be here during some of their most stressful times to be able to have a really nice, safe, secure and friendly house to come to after a hard day at the hospital.”

The Pasadena Ronald McDonald House served 5,690 patients and families last year and over 18,650 people since it opened in 2004.

The Pasadena house is split up in to two adjacent craftsman style houses that boast a total of twelve rooms and can accommodate twelve families at full capacity. The Pasadena house has seen one hundred percent occupancy for the past four months, according to Dever.

“It’s a home away from home for families receiving medical care at a local hospital,” said Dever.

The Pasadena house is one of six in SoCal and is one of very few Ronald McDonald House Charities chapters across the world that operates a cost-free, medically-supervised Camp for children with cancer and their families called Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, according to their website.

“Your child is your everything and you would do whatever you can to help that child and that’s what the Ronald McDonald house does. It helps to relieve the worries of people who are wondering how they are going to pay for expensive medical services. It’s the least Mijares can do to make a difference for people in need,” said Recendez.

To learn more about the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House, visit http://rmhcsc.org/pasadena.

For more information about Mijares Mexican Restaurant, visit http://www.mijaresrestaurant.com.