Who are we?

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My name is Diane, the owner of Simply Joyful. I moved to this area in March of 2020 (right when Covid shut EVERYTHING down...good times!) and have not looked back.  The people, the culture, the food options, the beauty of the area, the weather, it all keeps me in love with Ajijic and the whole Lake Chapala area.  I moved here with my husband, my son and my mom when my husband retired, and we had plans to just relax and enjoy the good life.  Well, we relaxed for over a year and then decided that relaxation was overrated but we are sure still living the good life.  How can you not life the good life when you live here? Unfortunately, we did lose my sweet mama in 2021 but thankfully she got to experience the love and soul filling beauty that Mexico has to offer before she passed away.

One of the few things I was losing sleep over was how my son, who is on the Autism Spectrum, would be able to stay in Mexico if something were to happen to my husband and I.  In the US, there are services that he would qualify for, but he wants to stay here in Mexico.  He caught the "I love Mexico" bug too!  So, we spent a lot of time trying to figure out what we could create to provide a future for him and Simply Joyful was created.  I received some money when my mom passed away and saw that as a gift from her to make this happen for him.  So, this restaurant is a labor of love for our son's future.  That is the reason I don't worry about if it will succeed or not, because I know that my mom is watching over us and making sure things go well.  She taught me that when you do things with good intention and integrity, you are destined to succeed so I figure that worrying is futile!  

My background?  I have a business management and accounting background that spans about 25 years and then decided I wanted to do something else with my life.  I wanted to find something I was passionate about and since I was making meals for my mom who had cancer and all sorts of dietary restrictions, I thought maybe I could help others in a similar situation.  So, I studied and did a LOT of research....soooo much research!  I started with a small soup delivery company then added salads and meals to the lineup.  I then added making meals for a local nutritionist for her clients to eat weekly and things took off from there!  I was asked by a friend if I could make charcuterie for an event and even though I'd never done it before, I figured how hard could it be, so I went for it.  She posted a few pictures and within a couple of weeks, I was making more charcuterie than I could have ever imagined.  We made small ones and then some for over 100 people for weddings, wine club pick up parties and so much more.  While delivering to one of the local wineries I was asked if I could prepare a VIP meal onsite for a group that was coming and their chef was sick so I said sure!  That one night turned into becoming the Private Chef for winery, creating wine pairing menus and preparing meals for those who wanted the VIP experience of a 5 course meal paired with wine.  This is where my real love of cooking became even more fun!  

So, that's me!  That's how I got started!

 We know that you want dining out to be more than just a meal. From the moment you arrive, we work to ensure you have that memorable experience.