Eatery on Navajo Nation boasts diverse menu and Chinese owner

Monday, March 31, 2014  

A restaurant on the Navajo Nation has been showing steady growth thanks to its Chinese owner and Navajo manager.

The Naatani Nez Restaurant in Shiprock, New Mexico, boasts a diverse menu. There's typical Navajo fare including fry bread and lamb stew, Chinese food made by owner Simon Cai and a variety of other dishes.

Cai, who opened the restaurant three years ago, doesn't speak much English. So he relies a lot on Jethro Begay, the manager.

"I wanted to make people not go to Farmington," Begay, who is originally from Shiprock, told The Farmington Daily Times. "They can have the same quality food and hospitality here as in Farmington."

The business has seen about 7 percent growth each year.

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Nataani Nez Restaurant in Shiprock uses variety to keep patrons coming back (The Farmington Daily Times 3/31)