By Erin Wheeler
Over the past 10 years, Sonora’s Prime has made a name for itself in the Mexican dining scene, with multiple restaurant and market locations spanning from Pueblo to Colorado Springs and beyond.
There are four existing Sonora’s Prime locations: two in Pueblo, one in Colorado Springs, and one in Falcon (Fountain will be the fifth).
Husband and wife Jazmin Fletes and Omar Teyechea founded the first Sonora’s location in Pueblo in 2015. Teyechea, a butcher since 1997, and Fletes, a child of the restaurant world (her father owned a 3 Margaritas restaurant in Colorado Springs), combined their backgrounds to bring the dream of Sonora’s Prime to fruition.
The couple teamed up with Fletes’ sister and brother-in-law, Wendy and Jose Figueroa, when it came time to expand into Colorado Springs. They have remained partners for all subsequent locations.
As a Falcon resident, Jazmin Fletes said she felt strongly that a Sonora’s location would fill a gap in the area east of Colorado Springs.
“We noticed that this side of town was growing. We knew that there was a need for this type of business,” Fletes said.
The brand’s newest carniceria and taco shop combo location opened in Falcon at the Shops at Meridian Ranch just over a year ago, with the grand opening in April 2024. Fletes said they quickly recognized the potential to outgrow the business’ currently leased space so they purchased a plot of land behind the 7-Eleven gas station. The original plan to begin constructing a permanent building on that new property this year has been put on hold to prioritize construction on a more time-sensitive store in Fountain, which is located across from City Hall and set to open during the first quarter of 2026.
Fletes said the restaurant and meat market are constantly competing for business, which seemed to surprise her. “Falcon is made up of mostly people who work every day. They’re hard-working people,” Fletes said. “So, you would think that they would eat out every day. But our meat market actually gets really busy with people who go home and cook for their family. We get really busy in the restaurant, yes, but the meat market is getting busier.”
Fletes and Wendy Figuerosa said the restaurant’s most popular item is the tacos and the market’s most popular item is a battle between the sweet bread and never-frozen meat.
Sonora’s takes pride in providing the highest quality meat available from their source, 1855 Black Angus Beef, which carries USDA Prime beef raised around the northern plains of the U.S., Fletes said. Aside from quality, a notable difference in the meat sold at Sonora’s is the way it is cut. For example, the market carries thinly cut beef for a true Mexican-style carne asada; whereas, those same cuts of meat found in nearby chain grocers tend to be much thicker.
The traditional Mexican grocery market side of Sonora’s carries mostly imported goods from Mexico, Central America and South America. The prices tend to be cheaper compared to other big box grocery stores in the area, which Fletes said is possible since they sell the goods for close to the cost that the store pays for them.
The market and the restaurant have their own entrances. The market carries a wide variety of high quality meats, among a vast amount of other items.
“It’s really showing at the store how strong the sense of community is in Falcon. And that’s really nice.”
Jazmin Fletes
The restaurant and the retail market are in the same building. There is a walkway between the two. La Cocina means kitchen in Spanish.
Fletes and Figueroa said they have been pleased with the support from the community from the beginning. “It’s really showing at the store how strong the sense of community is in Falcon. And that’s really nice,” Fletes said.
The team at Sonora’s enjoys being involved in the community, with seasonal gatherings and promotions to a trunk-or-treat event in the fall to a toy drive in the winter and more.
In celebration of Mother’s Day, a raffle for a basket of clay dishes will be held May 9 at both the Colorado Springs and Falcon Sonora’s locations. No purchase is required to enter, so Figueroa said, “We encourage everybody to participate.”
