Plastered across the wall of 5 Rabanitos’ Hyde Park location is a mural covered in bright colors. Centered between images of plants, hummingbirds and radishes is the mural’s focal point: a person crouched down in a bright yellow jaguar mask. 

This mural tells the story of the owner, Alfonso Sotelo, selling radishes as a child with his four brothers in towns around the Mexican state of Guerrero, a place represented by the jaguar. 

This new Hyde Park location of 5 Rabanitos, a Mexican restaurant based in the Pilsen neighborhood, is now open at 1301 E. 53rd St.. The location serves authentic Mexican food with dishes from many different regions of Mexico. 

Fernando Sotelo, the son of the restaurant’s owner, has been working as general manager since graduating college last year, and part time since he was 16. 

Although Fernando Sotelo’s father had been looking to expand for years, he felt he needed more support to take on the stress of opening a new restaurant. With him joining the full-time staff, Mr. Sotelo’s father felt that this was the opportune time to open a new location. 

The new location serves almost the exact same menu and is decorated similarly to the Pilsen location to maintain consistency across locations. 

“We wanted to keep the same identity. We didn’t want to do different, like, ‘Oh, well this place is going to be more upscale, or this place is going to be for a certain amount of people,’” Mr. Sotelo said. “No, we wanted to keep the same identities and everything.” 

Senior Isabella Alvarez and her family have been visiting 5 Rabinitos’ Pilsen location for many years and attended the Hyde Park location’s grand opening. 

“It’s amazing to have the same restaurant closer to home and in a location that I think will expose people in Hyde Park to authentic Mexican food,” Isabella said. 

Isabella appreciates the way the restaurant accurately represents Latinx culture without perpetuating stereotypes. 

“I think they did a really good job at, like, mixing the cultures, making it look elegant, but still incorporating different hints of Latino culture,” Isabella said. 

Despite the community expressing some concern about previous restaurants in the space struggling to stay in business, Mr. Sotelo is optimistic about 5 Rabanitos’ future in Hyde Park. 

“ The customers, if you’re keeping your customers happy, then you can go on for that many years,” Mr. Sotelo said. “I mean, we’re about to hit 10 years here in Pilsen, so I assume we’re doing something right.”