Natalie Rivas left a career in banking and finance to join her brother in launching a new restaurant in Vancouver.

In September 2015, she and sibling Paul opened Bodega on Main, which specializes in Spanish cuisine.

The establishment at 1014 Main Street brought back some of the favourite dishes from the La Bodega Restaurante & Tapas Bar.

The former La Bodega was cofounded by their father, Francisco. It operated downtown for 43 years, from 1971 to 2014, until its Howe Street location was acquired by a property developer.

The Rivas siblings added their own touch to the new place, much to the pleasure of their patriarch.

“We’ve always strived to honour the past but look toward the future and make our dad proud,” Rivas told the Straight in a phone interview from the restaurant.

Not long after Bodega on Main opened, their father passed away, in December 2016.

Four years later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, battering the restaurant industry.

“It’s not an easy time,” Rivas said.

She said that Bodega on Main closed temporarily on March 16. It resumed dine-in services on May 22 with reduced capacity. Glass barriers have been installed between tables.

“We’re a resilient industry, and so, you know, we just have to persevere and do our best to get it through the other side,” Rivas said. “It has been challenging, for sure, for all of us.”

According to her, Bodega on Main is “blessed with an exceptional and loyal staff”.

“We’ve truly been in this together as a team,” Rivas said.

Bodega on Main is one of more than 330 restaurants participating in this year’s Dine Out Vancouver Festival.

The festival, organized by Tourism Vancouver, runs from February 5 to March 7.

For this celebration of food and drink, Bodega on Main is offering a takeout dinner for two. The package includes salad, one selection from three paella dishes, churros for dessert, and a bottle of red or white wine—all for $65.

Rivas recalled that the restaurant tried the same menu during the Dine Outside Vancouver event in 2020, the summer version of Dine Out.

“It worked well, so we thought we’d do the same for this year’s festival,” she said.

While growing up, the Rivas siblings were involved in the old La Bodega.

Paul worked everywhere, from the kitchen to the dining floor and the office. By the time the place closed down in 2014, he was the general manager.

Rivas, for her part, worked as a hostess while in postsecondary studies.

“I finished university and went into banking, so it wasn’t until we opened here that I came back,” Rivas said.

It will take more than a pandemic to stop the Rivas siblings from carrying on with an honoured family tradition.

“I’m a hundred percent here,” Rivas said.