Maz Mezcal President Mary Silva Prefers Señora Maria: ‘I Don’t Need A Greater Title’

When Mary Silva married her late husband Edward, she married into a family of restaurateurs, whose legacy she’s now leading into its next chapter. “It’s very much a family-run company. My daughter’s involved; her husband is our manager.”

The business began as so many hard-working immigrant stories do.

“My mother-in-law came here from Mexico, met my father-in-law, and they started a small place together. When Edward was born, they sent him to his grandmother for the first seven years so they could keep working.”

When Mary got married, the Silvas owned a restaurant on 69th and 1st Avenue, then another on 86^th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. In 1987, they opened Maz Mezcal on 86^th between 1st and 2nd, where it remained until November 2025.

“We were unable to come to a new agreement with our landlords,” Silva said.

As of this writing, Silva believes she’s found a new location and will open under the same name. “It has a lot of history, a lot of meaning for me.”

So loved was the neighborhood dining staple she and her family created that friends and customers created a GoFundMe for her staff—many of them third-generation employees—to keep them afloat until Maz Mezcal was up and running again. “At least 90% of my staff will be coming back,” said Silva. “It’s a wonderful feeling.”

While at the Yorkville location, Silva gave back to the community because “that’s where our living comes from. The community supports you; you support the community. It creates the circle of life. We participated in schools, churches, and organizations that asked for prizes for their auctions; donated food quite frequently. I’m a big proponent of the NYPD, especially the 19th precinct. I think they do a wonderful job.” They’re also supporters of the Girl Scouts. For 10 years, Girl Scout cookies were sold in front of the restaurant.

Silva says her biggest joy as a restaurant owner is seeing customers enjoying themselves by providing an atmosphere that feels like home.

Being an entrepreneur, though, is not without its challenges. “Right now, it’s just staying up with pricing. Everything across the board has gone up. Every single thing.”

Yet, Silva remains inspired. “I love what I do. I love to cook; my father-in-law taught me how. I love talking to people. I’m probably one of the luckiest people you’ll ever meet. When I grew up, I didn’t know about the restaurant industry. I met my husband when he was in the army. When he came back from Vietnam, we got married, and I got to come to New York and get into the restaurant business. It turns out that that’s what I was born for. I’m really fortunate to have found a career that I love.”

Outside of work, Silva confesses with a laugh that she does “Very little, actually,” making clear that her industry is 24/7. “My life is really the restaurant. That’s what I do, and I’m surrounded by people who love it just as much as I do.”