Matthew Burke has been a chef since leaving school and the Prickly Pear in Southgate, Elland, is the realisation of his ambition to work for himself.
With partner Christy O'Connor he has invested more than £20,000 in a former Italian restaurant and turned it into the town's first Mexican.
But having put so much of their own cash into redecorating there was little left for advertising.
"We know how important it is to let everyone know you are there so we had some leaflets printed a month ago and distributed them ourselves around the town," he said.
"Since they went out the telephone has never stopped and our first night was a sellout and every night that week was almost full."
More surprising, though, the pair acquired the building in November and then completed the facelift in a month.
"We've decorated it in bright colours and also renovated the tables ourselves to give it a Mexican feel," said Mr Burke.
He is convinced that he has spotted a gap in the market.
"The building has been a restaurant for some time and I felt that a Mexican would be popular with younger diners, families and also existing customers," he said.
Featuring traditional Mexican fare on the menu, including burritos and fajitas, he has included regular favourites such as steaks and fish dishes.