Mover and Shaker power duo Luis Rey and Alyssa Huerta have provided delicious food, a welcoming environment, and smiling faces to the customers at Rey’s Mexican Grill since 2020. 

The couple entered entrepreneurship at an extremely young age (Luis in his mid 20s, Alyssa barely out of her teens) by purchasing a restaurant during one of the most objectively difficult times in recent memory. 

Luis stated, “The previous owners presented me with an opportunity to acquire the business and I feel life is about taking risks so we went for it. I knew that I wanted to be more than an employee. I wanted to make a name for myself and build on the future my parents had provided me.”

Alyssa added, “We started during COVID. We were worried, ‘Are we going to make it?’ We had been working together in a restaurant since we were 18 years old and decided, ‘We can figure this out.’” She continued, “We got married after only eight months together. I was 18 and Luis was 22 and looking back that seems crazy. But, we’re still happily together. Communication is key. As young as we were we had to learn to grow up together in the same direction. Figuring out how to learn from one another was so important.”

Even when part of a tight unit, any entrepreneur faces a variety of unforeseen obstacles. For Luis and Alyssa, a focus on the future, willingness to learn from others, and a deep appreciation for where they began make navigating the ups and downs and grueling hours their industry demands easier to manage.

Alyssa stated, “Dealing with situations that no one has prepared you for can be difficult. Whether it’s equipment breaking down that’s going to cost $10,000, or a person calling out that you really need 10 minutes before opening, you have no choice but to figure out what to do. Everything is very different from day to day. That’s also the fun part, trying to figure it all out. We get to work through these situations together every day and that’s also a huge blessing.”

Luis elaborated, “Balancing life and work is one of the biggest challenges when owning a business, but above all, we’re each other’s best friend. We’ve been blessed to ride through life’s challenges and overcome them together. We call our own shots and we learn from it whether we were right or we were wrong. It’s a learning experience.” He continued, “I think all business owners can agree that no one enters this world knowing everything it’s truly learn-as-you-go. We’ve met a lot of mentors along the way who’ve helped us with this journey and we appreciate them. Our mentors have helped us get to where we are.”

To wrap up our interview, I asked the couple what Cookeville means to them. Alyssa didn’t hesitate with her answer, which seems a fitting end to this article. 

“My family moved to America from South Korea when I was 12 because dad wanted more educational freedom and once in America we moved a lot for his job. I ended up in Cookeville in 8th grade and I thought I would live here for a short while and leave like the other cities, but instead it became my permanent home. Cookeville really is our forever home. We would love to raise kids and retire here someday. I’ve lived in many different places but I’m so glad my path led here.” She concluded, “We’re very thankful to be part of this community. We wouldn’t be in the position we find ourselves today without the love and support of the people of Cookeville.” 

– by Andrew Buckner, photos by Abby Weeden