Sazon De Loa, a Mexican restaurant situated on Renner Road in Plano, has seen a significant influx of customers after a video posted by the owner’s 15-year-old daughter went viral. The establishment, which specializes in authentic cuisine prepared by chef and owner Rafael De Loa, was nearly forced to close just last month due to insufficient foot traffic. The sudden turnaround began when Leslie De Loa shared a plea for support on TikTok, highlighting her father’s dedication to the business.
Leslie De Loa’s video, which has been widely shared, explicitly asked for community assistance. She noted that despite their efforts, the family-owned spot was not attracting enough patrons. She encouraged viewers to visit to enjoy the food and drinks, emphasizing the hard work her father puts into the restaurant. The video gained traction after being reposted by TikToker Bucky Wild Child, who has more than 110,000 followers and had previously dined at the location.
The response from the public was immediate. On Thursday, the restaurant was filled with diners traveling from various distances. Customers such as Jhazmin Martinez and Jesus Martinez cited the social media post as the reason for their visit, with Martinez mentioning a desire for a date night. While the crowd size surprised some, including customer Diego Osorio, others expressed patience with the extended wait times. C.J. Nelson described the situation as a positive challenge, stating he did not mind waiting for quality food.
Leslie De Loa expressed amazement at the community's willingness to sacrifice their time to support the business. For Rafael De Loa, the surge in business was emotional. He explained that the lack of customers previously made it difficult to retain staff, as there were no tips to offer. He described the viral attention as a miracle for a business that has operated for nearly two years without such success. He noted that he is now working approximately 30 hours a day to manage the increased demand.
The rapid growth has created a new challenge for the owners. Rafael De Loa stated that the restaurant is currently hiring to address the need for more staff members. He invited interested individuals to join the team as they continue to manage the heightened volume of customers.
