CHOCOWINITY — A new kind of restaurant has made its way to Chocowinity, and it features a mixture of American and Puerto Rican cuisines.

Hilda Martinez, a New Jersey native now living in Washington, opened La Isla Bonita about five weeks ago with her own personal, cultural influences in mind.

Growing up in America, she was, of course, familiar with “American” food — options such as hotdogs, macaroni and cheese and simple sandwiches. Her parents, however, were from Puerto Rico, and that meant she also grew up experiencing that culture, as well.

Martinez is also no stranger to the world of business, as she operated a fast food and grocery store for 17 years and then a convenient store for six. Another passion of hers is cooking, and during her time at the stores, she loved to cook and give the food away to some of her customers.

It wasn’t long before that cooking talent garnered some attention.

“A lot of customers said, ‘You need to open the restaurant,’” Martinez recalled.

Drawing on what she knew and what she loved, that’s exactly what she did.

With the help of her four daughters, she’s now sharing parts of her heritage with Beaufort County. This unity of cultures is what drives the restaurant.

La Isla Bonita’s menu features well-known American foods, as well as breakfast served all day and Puerto Rican-inspired dishes with chicken, beef and rice and beans.

It wasn’t easy at first, but Martinez said news of her business is starting to spread.

“I think any business is hard, you know, when you first open,” she said. “We’re picking up a little more now.”

Martinez said she hopes to continue growing her restaurant, hiring some employees and expanding the items available on the menu. She spends a lot of her time working in La Isla’s kitchen.

Martinez said she also hopes to bring something new to Chocowinity and the surrounding area, and she thinks combining the two cultures is the way to do just that.

“That’s why I decided to combine the both of them,” she said. “It’s something different.”

La Isla Bonita Restaurant is located at 3609 U.S. Highway 17 South, Chocowinity. It is open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.