Eatery to offer Salvadoran and American dishes
How do you refresh a Main South staple? With a new menu, a fresh coat of paint, and time in the kitchen with family, says Zaida Melendez.
Melendez, owner of Belén Casa de Pan on Main Street, is expanding her offerings and opening Belén’s Clark Brunch in the former home of Annie’s Clark Brunch, a longtime popular diner adjacent to campus. The menu will offer brunch staples with a twist. Guests can expect a blend of Salvadoran dishes such as pupusas and tamales alongside classic American diner meals. Belén Casa de Pan will remain open.
“My sisters and cousins have come over to taste fusions of American and Salvadoran food, trying to see what will work” for the brunch menu, Melendez says. “I want to do this because I love diner food. My favorite dish is chicken and waffles, and I always try a diner’s omelet.”
Melendez’s background is in health care, and she worked as a respiratory therapist during the pandemic. Baking was a comfort after stressful days at work.
“Baking helps me clear my mind,” she says. “I used to bake when I was a teenager, just out of the box. Then, I started baking Salvadoran pastries and sweet bread. Growing up, there were never Salvadoran businesses here in Worcester. We used to go without our traditional items, but over time, I had the curiosity to learn how to make them myself.”
Melendez was born in El Salvador and raised by her grandparents there until she was 8 years old. When she moved to the United States, her first home here was located down the street from Clark.
When Clark approached Melendez about re-opening the diner, she was initially apprehensive. Without a traditional background in food service, the undertaking was uncharted territory.
Joseph Corazzini, then vice president of government community and affairs at Clark, cheered on Melendez.
“I never thought I would open a brunch spot. But he said, ‘Why not?’ With the school’s help and encouragement, I got brave,” she recalls.
Diners hold a special place in Melendez’s heart. “I used to work nights, and my husband works days. I’d get out of work, he’d get the kids on the bus, and we would meet at a diner in the mornings about once a week,” she says.
That passion for diners is guiding her renovation of the former Annie’s space.
“When I came in with a key in hand, I was like, ‘I want to liven this place up,’” she says. “My husband reupholstered all the booths, and we painted the walls. The colors are inspired by my grandparents’ home. I feel like if they were here, they’d be proud.”
Melendez’s grandparents’ house was painted turquoise with a red stripe running horizontally — a pattern repeated at the diner. A photo of Melendez’s grandfather and great aunt hangs on the wall.
“My childhood best friend has been helping me with the decorations,” she says. “I keep throwing things at her. I have a vision. I want it to feel homey.
“I want someone to walk in here and feel the cultures,” she says. “I don’t want anyone to walk in and think it’s all Salvadoran, because it’s not. We’re also Americans.”
In the front corner of the restaurant, Melendez plans to display a collection of Annie’s Clark Brunch memorabilia, honoring the legacy of what former owner and cook Annie Jenkins built in the space.
“She made a great omelet,” says Melendez. Her customers will be able to order the “Annie’s Special,” which includes two eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, and toast. Melendez will break from one Annie’s tradition — accepting cash only — and will take card payments.
In addition to Annie, Melendez’s family members also inspired dishes on the Belén’s Clark Brunch menu. “Becky’s Special,” named after one of her daughters, will get you three chocolate and peanut butter chip pancakes topped with strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream. Her husband, José, is responsible for “José’s Big Breakfast” – a 6 oz. steak, two eggs, home fries or casamiento, chimol, and a choice of toast or tortillas.
“It really is a family business,” says Melendez. One of her daughters is a baker and runs the business’ social media. Another daughter, a mechanical engineer, is handy with kitchen equipment. Her high school-aged sons come by after school to help with tasks like taking out the trash — “all the stuff I don’t want to do,” Melendez says with a laugh.
Melendez was the first in her family to get a college education and the first to own a business. Her favorite thing about owning her restaurant is the community she’s built. She had been a shyer, more introverted person before opening Belén Casa de Pan — going to work and then coming home to sleep. Her advisor from Clark’s Small Business Development Center told her to “network, network, network” when she started Belén’s.
“I have so many friends now,” she says. “I get to talk to Clark students and staff. I get to meet city councilors and state representatives. There’s such a wide spectrum of customers here in Main South. On Saturdays, people fight for the big table in [the cafe]. It makes me excited about having the diner with more room for bigger groups.”
Belén’s Clark Brunch is having a grand opening on Thursday, April 30. The restaurant will be open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
