La Mariposa fulfilled a Cervantes dream

Editor’s note: BizWest is profiling inductees into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame Class of 2026. 

BOULDER — Rene and Maria Cervantes, owners of the La Mariposa restaurants, are among nine individuals to be inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame.

The hall’s Class of 2026 will be honored Sept. 30 at the Jewish Community Center, 6007 Oleg Ave. in Boulder. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m.

Other inductees include Gerry Agnes, Sally and Sandy Bracken, Becky Callan-Gamble and Dean Callan, Rich Lopez and Denis Nock.

Like many successful businesses, La Mariposa restaurants began with a simple dream and a lot of hard work.

Rene and Maria Cervantes were a young married couple from the Mexican state of Chihuahua who settled in Colorado to build a better future for their family. Rene worked as a mason helping construct buildings in Denver, while Maria worked for a semiconductor company. Although they worked hard, money was often tight.

One day, Maria began making tamales and burritos to sell at her workplace to earn extra money for their son’s upcoming birthday. Rene often exchanged lunches with his coworkers, who quickly became fans of Maria’s cooking. One coworker, Larry Tinajera, suggested that Rene start selling the burritos because they were so delicious. At first, Rene was hesitant, but Maria encouraged him to give it a try.

The response was overwhelming. Rene sold homemade burritos at the Wells Fargo Center in Denver, where customers loved the fresh ingredients, homemade tortillas and authentic flavors. As demand grew, the couple realized they had an opportunity to create something bigger.

Soon they learned about a small restaurant called La Mariposa that was for sale in Longmont. Even though they had little experience running a restaurant, they believed in three things; Their food was excellent, they could accomplish anything together, and they wanted a better life for their children. Taking a leap of faith, they purchased the restaurant.

More than 39 years later, La Mariposa is still thriving in Longmont, Lyons and Greeley, serving authentic Mexican food with the same dedication, quality and family values that inspired its beginnings.

Their business has not only created jobs and served generations of families but has also become a symbol of the Latino business community’s contributions to Boulder County’s economic and cultural fabric.

The Boulder County Business Hall of Fame’s inductees’ contributions span commercial real estate, financial services, immigrant entrepreneurship, civic leadership, higher education and community investment.

Any current or former business leader with demonstrated ties to Boulder County is eligible. Nominees should have a record of business excellence, community engagement and ethical leadership that has had a measurable impact on the region.

Ticket and sponsorship information for the Sept. 30 ceremony is available at halloffamebiz.com. Sponsorships support both the event and the organization’s broader mission, including its student scholarship program.

The Boulder County Business Hall of Fame, a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1992, has inducted more than 200 business leaders who represent the highest standards of business ethics, innovation and community commitment in Boulder County. Profiles of all alumni classes are available at halloffamebiz.com/alumni.

The organization also provides scholarships to Boulder County high school students who wish to attend CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business and to students at Front Range Community College. A memorial scholarship has been established by the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame to honor Jacob T. “Jake” Puzio III, a longtime board member of the organization and one of the region’s most respected banking leaders who died April 27 in Boulder at age 79. 

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