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Sayreville mayor spotlights new Latin Port restaurant, announces first 'Latin Day' and school visits
Summary
Mayor Kennedy O'Brien hosted a bilingual podcast at Latin Port, a new Sayreville restaurant, praising owner Vivian's immigrant success story, announcing school partnerships with Spanish classes and, via Board of Education President Eloy Fernandez, the borough's first Latin Day this September.
Mayor Kennedy O'Brien visited Latin Port, a new restaurant at 500 Ernston Road in Sayreville, and used a bilingual podcast appearance to showcase the business, announce school partnerships and publicize the borough's first-ever Latin Day in September.
At the session O'Brien introduced restaurant owner Vivian and Eloy Fernandez, identified in the program as president of the Sayreville Board of Education. Vivian said she came to the United States as a teenager in 1999 and built the restaurant by drawing on home recipes and research. "For the most part, it was easy. We did have one hiccup, but it was nothing major. It was sorted out within two days," Vivian said of the permitting and startup process.
Fernandez praised the mayor's support for local culture and said district leaders have worked to expand Spanish-language offerings. "Thanks to our mayor's initiative, Sayreville will have its first-ever Latin Day in September," Fernandez said, adding that district administrators have helped launch bilingual programs including two preschool classes taught entirely in Spanish.
Vivian described a regular program of classroom visits: two groups of about 60 middle-school Spanish students from Metuchen visited the restaurant to place orders and take part in culture-focused trivia and dancing as part of language practice. The restaurant's menu represents multiple Latin American traditions; Vivian said the concept highlights dishes from roughly eight countries, and staff listed examples including birria, Puerto Rican pernil, Brazilian moqueca, empanadas, maduros and sancocho.
O'Brien provided practical details for residents: Latin Port is on the southbound side of Route 9 at 500 Ernston Road and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 7 p.m. on Sundays. Vivian said the restaurant's website is Latinporteats.com and that food is available both for quick counter service and sit-down meals.
The podcast segment highlighted local-business support, cultural representation and a concrete school partnership in which students practice Spanish on site. The hosts concluded the recording to break for lunch; Latin Day and continued school collaborations were presented as forthcoming community events.
