SCRANTON, Pa. — Inside La Tonalteca Restaurant on Viewmont Drive in Scranton, you'll find the taste and flavors and a mirage of color that transports you south of the border.
"People from that area that own restaurants have this type of furniture in order to provide help for their people there," said owner Mirciades Diaz.
The tables and chairs are handcrafted and imported from Central America to Scranton.
"Kids, after coming from school, they'll come and help their father do the carpenter work," Diaz said.
It's a small touch and a reminder of home that was incredibly important to Diaz. He fled El Salvador at just 15 years old as civil war and economic hardships ravaged the country.
"I had what I was wearing and a small backpack with a change of clothes," Diaz recalled.
As he fled to pursue a better life, it also meant leaving his entire family behind. Just a kid himself, he was forced to grow up fast.
"We grow there a little quicker than other countries because we are supposed to survive."
His journey was long and difficult before he finally made it to Scranton by bus.
In the 20 years since, he has learned a new language, earned his GED, became a U.S. citizen, and became a father.
He also found his true home inside restaurants.
"I find enjoyment doing it, and I don't feel like when I am here, I don't feel like I'm working."
Now, he has roots here in Scranton in the form of a restaurant, one that's been successful since he opened 16 years ago.
But he never forgot where he came from. He recently made a trip back to visit his family in El Salvador, taking his three kids with him.
"I have my own family and my kids, so I can provide for them something I didn't have."
The name La Tonalteca means "where the sun rises." It's a fitting reminder of Diaz's journey.
"I open the doors and start serving food, but they are the ones that keep us here—the customers, the people," Diaz added.
And a restaurant, where much like the tables and chairs inside of it, are handcrafted out of love, hope, and sacrifice.