From Latin Deli to Josefina's Cocina
Barrera opened Latin Deli in 2011 at Abrams Road and Northwest Highway, where it became a neighborhood fixture for Lakewood and Lake Highlands. The Dallas Observer reported that Fernando and Lydia Barrera started the restaurant with their cook, Oscar, after the three had spent about a decade working at several La Duni restaurants.
The business eventually grew to three locations, with a downtown restaurant followed by one in Addison. Both later closed, according to What's Vegetarian?, leaving the original at 5844 Abrams Road as the only Latin Deli operating in Dallas. Its offerings include breakfast, sandwiches, salads and sweets, along with smoothies, lemonades and juices.
His Richardson restaurant, Josefina's Cocina, officially opened December 5, 2025, at 3610 Shire Blvd., Suite 108, according to Texas Is Life. Barrera told Community Impact that its name honored his mother, Josefina Barrera Rodriquez, who raised four sons on her own.
"She raised her children with faith, discipline and love," he wrote when the restaurant opened, "and taught them that nothing in life comes without effort…Her cooking brought the family together."
Family and remembrance
Born April 11, 1975, in La Moncada, Guanajuato, Barrera grew up in Toluca, Mexico, with his mother. His obituary says she preceded him in death.
Barrera married Andreea Dia in 2023. The couple shared their home with six cats, according to the obituary. His survivors include Andreea, his daughters Michelle and Mia, and other family members and friends.
Friends writing in his obituary called him "a dedicated businessman who was constantly on the lookout for exciting new opportunities." They also wrote: "He could be stubborn and quick-tempered, but his heart was always in the right place, and he was committed to doing the very best for his family."
They remembered his devotion as a husband, father, uncle and friend, his readiness to help people in need, and the humor he brought to everyday life. He enjoyed making others laugh and finding happiness in small moments.
October 19 services
Family and friends gathered for visitation and a funeral on October 19, 2026, at Ted Dickey Funeral Home, 2128 18th Street in Plano. Visitation took place from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by the funeral from 5 to 7 p.m.
