Maysa, a Peruvian restaurant, has opened in the former Harbor Inn building on Fairgrove Church Road. The owner, Maria Isabel Jimenez, moved to the United States from Peru five months ago. In Peru, Jimenez owns two businesses, a hotel and a contracting company.
When Jiminez moved to Hickory and planned to open the restaurant, she said some people doubted how successful she would be because she does not speak a lot of English. The language barrier didn’t intimidate Jiminez. Four years ago, she learned how to communicate with people without words.
In 2020, Jiminez was in a coma. When she came out of the coma, she was unable to speak for a year, she said. Jiminez said this experience made her realize that she is capable of anything.
Owner Maria Isabel Jimenez stands in front of the Maysa sign in the restaurant's lobby. When she first visited Hickory last year, she said she thought it was a good area for business and wanted to open a restaurant to serve meals not found elsewhere in the community. Jiminez said she is excited to offer authentic food from her culture.
“I am excited for the new relationships [from the restaurant],” Jiminez said through her daughter, Marisabel Ferry, who translated for her. Maysa is located at 1607 Fairgrove Church Road SE, Conover. The restaurant is open every day from noon until 10 p.
m. More information can be found on the Maysa Facebook page. Jiminez said one of her favorite things on the menu is the trio marino, which is a seafood special wit.