Last week Bertha Miranda's Mexican restaurant in Reno announced it is up for sale. The namesake and owner is ready to hang up her apron after a lifetime in the kitchen.

Señora Miranda says she wants the restaurant to stay open and continue serving the community that she is so grateful to be a part of. As she looks back, she shares her story of how it all came to be.

A note - while Doña Berta is fluent in English, she asked to speak with us in Spanish; the English translation is included below.

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Don't let the industrial kitchen fool you, Bertha Miranda's Restaurant serves authentic home-style Mexican food.

“I make it all with fresh food, nothing from cans,” shares Miranda, “Hago todo con comida fresca, nada de bote.”

Bertha Miranda says for her, there is no other way - a deep devotion to authentic cooking has always been her life.

“I feel it in my soul//lo siento en mi alma.”

It all started in Chihuahua, Mexico where Bertha was actually born in a kitchen - then grew up helping her abuela sell tortillas. She learned to cook for big groups when she moved to Texas.

“I worked in the Army kitchen - in El Paso, Texas/trabaje en el Army, en las cocina - en El Paso, Tejas.”

By the time the family made their way to the Silver State, Miranda was ready to open a restaurant of her own. In 1984 she got her start on 4th Street in Reno.

“It was a very small restaurant, tiny - I should say/fue un restoransito pequeno, pequenisimo puedo dicer.”

She enlisted the help of her six children and put together a plan.

“Who will help with the young ones at home? Who will come with me? And Freddy will keep working to help contribute some money/quien me ayuda con los nino chicos aqui en la casa y quien se va conmigo y Freddy va segir trabajando pa que me de ese dinerito.”

The hard work paid off and the delicious food lured in the customers.

“People supported us and business took off/la gente nos apoyo y empezo y empezo.”

The restaurant outgrew its space, moved to Sparks, then in 1991 moved to its current location on Mill Street. Now, 37 years later, Bertha says her family is truly blessed to have moved to Nevada;

“Because in the state of Nevada there is work 24 hours a day, and for we Latinos, especially Mexicans, the word 'work' is music to our ears/porque el estado de Nevada tiene 24 horas para trabajar, y para nosotros los latinos, especialmente los Mexicanos, la palabra 'trabajo' es musica a nuestro oidos.”

Miranda has used the success of the restaurant to give back to her family, and the community - dozens of scholarships over the years to local students. 

“It's such a joy//es una satisfacción.”

Now, with her 80th birthday just months away, Doña Bertha made the tough decision to put the restaurant up for sale.

“It hurts me deeply,” she confesses, crying, “Me duele mucho.”

The hope is to pass it on, recipes and all - and keep the legacy alive. Bertha is filled with gratitude for all the years, the love and support:

“I keep them all in my heart/Me los llevo todo, en el Corazon.”

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There are currently several offers to take over Bertha Miranda's on Mill Street in Reno - and there are no plans to close its doors. The restaurant is open every day except Mondays when the dining room and kitchen are thoroughly sanitized and disinfected