Trabajo en equipo | Teamwork

Anna Luna listens to Diana Mendez, a server, after a difficult day at work. Diana had worked at Tacos Luna y Mas for less than a month.

While driving through residential spaces on West Lexington Avenue to get to the heart of downtown, you may stumble upon Tacos Luna y Más, a seemingly run-of-the-mill Hispanic restaurant.

Anna Luna and her husband Francisco had spent decades working in the restaurant industry. Finally, after years of working long shifts for other people’s restaurants, Anna wanted to start their own. “We need to try it,” she told Francisco.

Francisco wasn’t sure. “But in the end, Anna pushed me through,” he said. “She’s the one, like, always behind me. If you fail, she helped me to — how do you say? — stand up.”

Anna opened Tacos Luna y Más as a food truck in October 2020, serving Winchester, Lexington and the surrounding area. With the food truck’s growing popularity, Anna knew she needed a team.

Francisco, a chef with experience from Drake’s and Malone’s, was the first team member in the kitchen. “We’re not like other places — like rushing you or everything. We try to talk to each other, like, if someone have a problem, they can talk to me.”

Soon after the food truck opened, Nelly Jarman began working at Tacos Luna y Más. “I’m so happy to be a part of their journey,” said Nelly, now manager of the brick-and-mortar restaurant that opened in 2023. “We like to say that we all work very well together. I feel like that’s a very important thing for Francisco and Miss Anna: teamwork, and getting good communication, and just, you know, working together as much as we can.”

Anna said Nelly is a crucial part of keeping the restaurant running, including when Anna had a medical issue that kept her from working for a week. “Nelly basically is my second half,” Anna said. “When I’m not here, really, she knows everything.”

The team doesn’t stop with Nelly and Francisco. Reyes, Anna’s brother, is part of the kitchen staff. If Anna is worried about missing work, Anna said her brother always reassures her. “He is like don’t worry; he’s like no problem,” Anna said. “It’s like, ‘We got it.’”

Reyes said he really looks up to his older sister and is grateful for what he has learned from her. He hopes to continue growing the business with Anna.

The lease for Anna’s current building ends in 2027. Anna isn’t certain if, or where, they will relocate, but she said one thing is certain: “We need to stay in Winchester.”