Nestled in East Newnan is a take-out restaurant that will take away your hunger pains, A Comer Caliente Y Frio. The Roberto Ozorio family owns and operates this delightful, authentic Dominican-Caribbean Restaurant. It was this writer’s pleasure to sit down and speak with Liz Ozorio, the oldest of the four daughters who work alongside their parents. She shared how her family, former New Jersey residents, ended up in Newnan, Georgia. “My grandparents are originally from the islands, the Dominican Republic, but migrated to the states three decades ago. Almost two years ago my family was looking for a new place to live. As a Christian family everything we do is guided by God. So, we asked God for his guidance in where we could move and for anything else we needed. We also asked for wisdom, so we could go to the place where God wanted us to be.”
Ozorio’s daughter went on to say while her dad was working here in this area and while hunting for groceries, he ended up in Newnan. When he looked around, he said, “This is exactly where we’re gonna live. And this is where God is gonna bring us up.”
And bringing them up is exactly right. The Ozorio family opened their restaurant on November 25, 2023. After discovering the huge Hispanic community in the area, the idea of A Comer Caliente Y Frio L.L.C. was born. Now serving a smorgasbord of Dominican-Caribbean dishes, their take-out restaurant has many returning and new customers. Their secret to success, if you pardon the pun, has much to do with Mrs. Ozorio’s secret ingredients when it comes to the seasoning mix she uses in the oxtail dish, as well as the creamy tomato sauce that is served over seafood or chicken. The restaurant also offers something not seen in this area before, both a Spanish and English menu. So, if you don’t speak Español, you can still order the excellent food choices on the buffet where you can choose what you would like to eat or order a dish off the menu.
The decor of the restaurant is reminiscent of the Ozorio family’s heritage. They also have different countries’ flags mounted to represent the nationalities of their customers, and if someone comes in from a country that doesn’t have a flag already up, the owners will add a flag to the collection.
Anytime a new business is started, there is a lot of work, second guessing, and just worrying about whether or not it will be something consumers will like. After being open for three months and counting, Ms. Ozorio said, “It is unbelievable how the community has allowed us in — and to serve them. We are so grateful.”
Despite the sacrifices made to achieve their goal, it is a humbling fact to know that instead of taking credit for themselves over their success, they are grateful to God for the gift of the restaurant and want to repay him by helping the community.
The Bible scripture on their website says it all — Psalms 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
A Comer Caliente Y Frio L.L.C. is located at 45 Robinson Street, Newnan, Georgia 30263. You can also reach them by phone, 678-857-3374, or email, [email protected]. Their website address is acomercalienteyfriollc.com. You can also read about them on Facebook and Instagram.
