蜜柚直播 restaurateur Carlotta Flores was in the middle of a dental exam earlier this month when she got the news.
Forbes magazine had named her one of its 鈥 women in business who aren鈥檛 letting age slow them down.
鈥淪o very humbling,鈥 Flores, who heads her family鈥檚 restaurant group that includes the flagship , said of making Forbes 鈥淰ision鈥 list of women making a difference in society and culture through health care, the arts and other areas.
It is one of four 鈥50 Over 50鈥 lists compiled by the business magazine from more than 10,000 nominations it received early this year.
Flores, 74, is in prestigious company that includes fashion designer Eileen Fisher, Google engineering Vice President Marian Croak, actress and activist Geena Davis, ABC 蜜柚直播 President Kimberly Godwin and Texas oil company owner Marsha Hendler.
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鈥淚 represent a lot of women that 鈥aybe they鈥檙e not Kamala Harris, but maybe, in their own life, they are,鈥 Flores said.
Vice President Harris was included in the initial list, released in June, that also had Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng, BioNTech biochemist and Senior VP Katalin Karik贸, Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer and 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy鈥 producer/creator/screenwriter Shonda Rhimes.
Former 蜜柚直播 Gov. Janet Napolitano, Equality Now Global Executive Director Yasmeen Hassan and Library of Congress librarian Carla Hayden are on the 鈥淚mpact鈥 list, released in July; a fourth list, dubbed 鈥淚nvestment,鈥 is coming out soon.
Forbes teamed up with MSNBC 鈥淢orning Joe鈥 cohost Mika Brzezinski鈥檚 movement last December to launch the magazine鈥檚 鈥50 Over 50鈥 project highlighting women over 50 who have achieved significant success later in life and are continuing to make an impact.
Initially, the magazine was going to create a single list, but after the overwhelming response, it expanded the project to highlight more women.
Flores appears to be the only restaurateur so far to be included after being nominated by her longtime friend Gloria Alvillar and longtime admirer Rosalie Crowe. The pair also tapped 蜜柚直播 publicist Norma Gentry, who works with Si Charro, to help compile information for the nomination.

Carlotta Flores doing a pop up 鈥淓l Charrito鈥 in the back alley of former Jacome鈥檚 Department Store. They had a weekly Mercado in the alley that was a pathway to things like today鈥檚 food truck rallies and pop up shops.
Nominating Flores was Crowe鈥檚 idea and it came two days before the March 1 deadline. Crowe said she had been watching Brzezinski on 鈥淢orning Joe鈥 when the host announced the fast-approaching deadline.
鈥淚 was thinking we ought to get someone from out here, not just your standard CEOs. And I thought of Carlotta right away,鈥 said Crowe, a retired journalist who knows Flores through their volunteer work with the University of 蜜柚直播 Chicano/Hispanic Student Affairs & Resource Center.
The trio scrambled to put together a convincing argument that Flores deserved to be recognized. Alvillar sent the nomination with just hours to spare.
As soon as she hit send on her computer, she realized she had left off information about the number of employees 鈥 400 now, 500 pre-pandemic 鈥 that Flores has and the number of restaurants, which also includes licensing agreements for their brands at several airports and n Las Vegas.
Alvillar, who worked for 30 years at the University of 蜜柚直播 including leadership roles in facilities management and University Libraries, called Forbes editor Maggie McGrath to see if she could amend the nomination.
While she had the New York editor on the phone, Alvillar gushed about Flores and 蜜柚直播 and invited McGrath to visit.
鈥淚 told her we are the . We will take you around. You will not only eat at El Charro, we will take you to all of the restaurants. You鈥檙e just going to have a ball here,鈥 Alvillar recalled of the conversation. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e got to meet (Flores). You give us so few words to tell you about the magic of this woman and this city.鈥 I wanted her to know that this is just an amazing, amazing person.鈥

El Charro restaurant, 311 N. Court Avenue, is among the many ventures Carlotta Flores helms.听
Flores said the nomination took her by surprise, even though she had spoken with McGrath two days before the list was announced on Aug. 12.
McGrath told Flores she was a finalist and interviewed her. Flores chalked up the experience initially as just one more 鈥渂est-of鈥 list that will probably come with an ask for some nominal fee as so many national listings do.
But when the news of the lists hit social media, Flores said she realized it was legit.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 grasp it totally yet,鈥 she added.
Flores and the other nominees share one thing in common: 鈥淎 pay-it-forward mindset鈥 and resolve to work 鈥渢o solve some of society鈥檚 biggest issues, including health care access for all, food security, rights for the differently-abled and much more,鈥 McGrath said in a written statement.
Flores has been paying it forward since she took over El Charro in 1972 from her aunt Monica Flin, El Charro鈥檚 founder. Flin had run the restaurant since opening it in 1922 and at age 90 was looking for her successor.
Flores and her husband, Ray Sr., came home from California with their two young children 鈥 their daughter was born a year or so later in 蜜柚直播 鈥 to take over the restaurant.
Even in the early days, Flores鈥檚 son Ray said his mother was involved in the community, serving on boards and volunteering her time and the restaurant鈥檚 food to charitable events.
鈥淢y mom would always tell me 鈥 sometimes you have to give more than you get if you want to get somewhere,鈥 said Ray Flores, who helps run the family business. 鈥淢y mom volunteered constantly, she was on boards constantly. She just got engaged. She was always involved.鈥

Carlotta Flores聽took over El Charro in 1972 from her aunt Monica Flinn, El Charro鈥檚 founder. Flinn had run the restaurant since opening it in 1922 and at age 90 was looking for her successor.
鈥淟ooking at her story and history of building something, of course you look up to her,鈥 said Maria Mazon, chef-owner of who has been leaving her own mark on 蜜柚直播鈥檚 culinary landscape in recent years. 鈥淥h shoot, she did it! And now that the times are hard, she keeps opening and reinventing what she built. It鈥檚 what she built that got her where she鈥檚 at.鈥
鈥淪he deserves it,鈥 Mazon added. 鈥淲hen you are building something, you don鈥檛 think about in the future. 鈥 Imagine what she just dreamed up and look what she has now.鈥
New 蜜柚直播 restaurants and bars opened in summer 2021
Bella's Gelato Shoppe

started as a local food truck but now has a stand-alone shop at聽2648 E. Speedway Blvd.
The menu of a dozen gelato and sorbet flavors, plus smoothies, coffee and floats, should cool down anyone in search of a summer treat.听
Noodleholics

The Taiwan beef soup has fatty chunks of roast in a lighter beef broth with housemade wheat noodles.
' first shop opened on Grant Road back in 2018 and has since opened an Oro Valley location at聽7850 N. Oracle Rd.
The new Oro Valley spot has a larger kitchen and a patio dining area for noodle-lovers in the area who might not want to make the trek down to midtown.
Maria Bonita Mexican Kitchen

After its original location closed in 2011, has returned to 蜜柚直播, this time at 2708 E. Fort Lowell Road.听
The menu features popular Mexican dishes like quesadillas, chimichangas, tacos and desserts like flan and tres leches cake.听
Gallery of Food Bodega

, at 2522 E. Fort Lowell Road, had its grand opening this June, despite technically first opening back in October 2020.听
This store, run by聽Kristine Jensen of the Gallery of Food catering company,聽sells locally-sourced products and offers grab-and-go meals, all of which can also be .听
Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink

Reilly's pizza oven is being seasoned in preparation for the opening of the newest Reilly Pizza on the northwest side.
You may be familiar with聽's popular downtown location at聽101 E. Pennington Street, but now you have the chance to grab a pie and a cocktail up north.
Reilly's second location opened Aug. 1 on 蜜柚直播's northwest side at聽7262 N. Oracle Road.
La Estrella Bakery

La Estrella Bakery is opening its third location at 901 N. Grande Ave. in the Barrio Hollywood neighborhood.
opens its third 蜜柚直播 location on July 31 at聽901 N. Grande Ave.听
The Franco family, who opened their flagship bakery in the '80s, is putting this new location in Barrio Hollywood where their 蜜柚直播 roots began.听
Transplant Pizza

Transplant, a Detroit-inspired pizzeria has opened next door to Craft, A Modern Drinkery taproom on East Speedway.
This new pizzeria "born in 蜜柚直播, inspired by Detroit" at 4603 E. Speedway Blvd. comes from the minds of William and Travis Miller, the brothers behind 蜜柚直播's Serial Grillers.听
The duo opened the doors of this summer right next to Craft, A Modern Drinkery, a taproom which they also run.听
Salad and Go
has over 30 locations in 蜜柚直播 and now 蜜柚直播's first is open at 5501 E. Speedway Blvd.
Although the name says "salad," you can also grab breakfast burritos and seasonal soup there. Another 蜜柚直播 location is planned to open later this year at 蜜柚直播 Marketplace.
Buena Vida

This luchador-themed spot at 919 N. Stone Ave. had its grand opening at the end of August, which featured a car show and live wrestling.
's menu offers a variety of tortas, loaded "Lucha Fries," Sonoran dogs, and salads with a Mexican cuisine-inspired twist. They have indoor and patio seating and offer carry out as well.听
Noble Hops

The popular Oro Valley gastropub,聽, opened up a new location this summer at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Reid Park,聽445 S. Alvernon Way.
Noble Hops's new spot offers mostly the same menu items as the original location, in addition to craft beers and cocktails.听