Anna and Efrain Alvarado opened Spicy Bite in 2010 under the name Palm Cafe. Efrain and his brothers ran multiple locations of the Palm Cafe throughout the Central Texas region.
It wasn’t until 2014 that the couple decided to make a name for themselves and personalize their dishes through the name change.
“[Efrain] wanted a catchy name, different than the rest of [the family businesses],” Anna said.
Inspiration for the name Spicy Bite came about organically through customers commenting on the food, saying it’s spicy, which Anna confirmed as the restaurant uses jalapenos and other peppers for its main dishes.
In its early days, the business did not gain much traction, which Anna attributes to the lack of social media and the size of the city at the time.
“Kyle was not growing like it is now,” Anna said.
She added the majority of the customers within the first few years were simply due to word of mouth, and it wasn’t until three to four years in that they began having a steady stream of customers.
Fast forward to the height of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, when many businesses closed, the existing drive-thru of the sit-down restaurant became even more essential to the business.
“It’s not only our family who depends on the business; it’s everyone and their family who work at [Spicy Bite],” Anna said.
While many customers inquire about a second Spicy Bite restaurant or an extension of the first one, that is not the couple’s main focus. If the opportunity should arise for a second Spicy Bite, they would consider it, Anna said, but their priority right now is their four children.
Spicy Bite
• 101 Hall Professional Center, Ste. A, Kyle
• 512-268-8051
• www.spicybitekyle.com
• Hours: Tue.-Sat. 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 6 a.m.-2 p.m., closed Mon.
