Wrestler Armando Estrada leaves WWE to open a restaurant in Glendale

By Ron Matejko
Photos by Norm Hall

As a lifelong resident of Chicago, Armando Estrada was raised with an appreciation for the two things that the area is most known for – good sports and good food.

In fact, both of those loves have played a major role in shaping Estrada’s life. He has already made a worldwide name for himself in sports, as a superstar for World Wrestling Entertainment. Now he hopes to make a similar impact with a new venture that addresses the other love of his life — food — as the owner and operator of Baby’s Steak and Lemonade, a Chicago-style restaurant that opened in Glendale in March.

“When the opportunity came, I was at a crossroads in WWE, my previous employer,” Estrada said. “I wasn’t really happy there anymore. An opportunity presented itself, that being the restaurant and it coincided with me asking for my release from the company and all of a sudden I am now in the restaurant business. So, I’ve gone from getting beat up to making sandwiches, and having more fun.”

For three years, Estrada traveled the world, and enjoyed a successful high-profile position by serving as the entertaining mouthpiece for Umaga, a Samoan savage who was portrayed as being unable to speak English. Toward the end of Estrada’s run he was moved into another role as a wrestler and then the GM for one of the WWE shows, but he didn’t have the same opportunity to make the impact he had as a manager. Last November, Estrada made the difficult decision to ask for his release and walk away from a lucrative job that many desire but few can achieve.

However, the groundwork for his second career was already laid when, last year, Estrada became an investor in the original Baby’s Steak and Lemonade outside Chicago. His partner has family who lives in Glendale, so he visits the area often and recognized the booming west valley city as a prime location for expansion. When Estrada was presented with the opportunity to be involved in a second restaurant, he jumped at the chance to make an impact on another industry.

“There area so many things I could have done and people say why a wrestler? I grew up wanting to do it since I was four years old. I used to go to the shows and I used to watch every week. It was my dream and I am very thankful for that but I have moved on,” Estrada said. “And I say, ‘You know what? Now, I want to be the next Dave Thomas, but bigger. I want to be bigger than the golden arches. I want to be bigger than Subway.’ They all started with one store, so why can’t I? I already have two, with many more to come.”

While Estrada doesn’t boast a degree from Wharton or Harvard Business School, he does possess the entrepreneurial spirit and drive needed to make this venture succeed. He already beat the odds by reaching the WWE. And, professional wrestlers are considered independent contractors by WWE, so he has experience handling many of the same details common to other small businesspeople.

Estrada also learned valuable lessons by observing WWE owner, and self-made billionaire Vince McMahon, as well as fellow wrestler John Bradshaw Layfield, who has enjoyed tremendous business success outside the ring. Estrada supplemented that knowledge by reading books by numerous business leaders including Warren Buffett and studied them. With all that knowledge, Estrada developed a philosophy that he believes will make him a champion in business.

“I took a concept I always envisioned being quality cleanliness, customer service and value and those are four things I built my business on and my reputation,” Estrada explained. “If I can do all of those things, I don’t see any reason why I can’t have the most successful restaurant in the Valley and so far so good.”

Estrada is now a part-time Valley resident and full-time restaurateur although he does still accept bookings to wrestle, only this time on his schedule. However, if the WWE should call, he would listen, especially with its landmark event, Wrestlemania, coming to Glendale next March.

“For now, my time and my focus are on my restaurant,” Estrada said. “Should the WWE feel they have a need for Armando Estrada to return, I would be open to listening to what they present. However, it has to make both sense and cents. I still love the wrestling business but it’s got to be the right situation for me to leave this because it does require a lot of my time. You have to be hands on, especially in the very early stages of a new business. I can’t just walk away and expect somebody to run this place for me. It is my baby literally. I have to help nurture it and grow it then I can go make new Baby’s in other states.”

Estrada already showed he has the drive and passion to reach his goals when he became one of only a few to wrestle for the WWE. The odds are equally against small business owners but Estrada beat the odds once, and he hopes to do it again.