OUR FAMILY STORY
The story begins with my grandparents coming to America. They came from a small town in Mexico where jobs were few and far between.
My grandfather and grandmother, a bride at 15, left for an exciting new life before them. Just a few short years later, tragedy struck.
My grandfather contracted Tuberculosis that lead him to his death and lead my 19 year-old grandmother alone to raise four children. My father, being the eldest,then took to the role as the man of the family
In a country still suffering from the depression, grandma was scrambling to find work that only seemed to lead to houekeeping and taking in laundry. In her circumstances, she still managed to keep education and religion as a main priority amongst her four children who all attended Catholic schools.
One day, Grandma recieved a call from the school nurse, it was my father, Trini. Trini had fainted at school and the nurse determined it was from being mal-nourished and the authorities were called.
Grandma was confused, even though all she could afford to feed the children were her homemade tortillas and beans ( I can still remember the smells from the kitchen, YUM!) all of the children were getting fed.
It came to the surface that Trini had been giving his portion of food to his younger siblings. On that same day, Trini vouched to his mother that he was going to open up a big restaurant one day and no one in the family would ever go hungry again!
At the age of 16, Trini joined the marines and 8 months later was kicked out for being too young. At the legal age of 18, Trini then joined the Navy. After returning from the war in the late 1940's my father met a woman named Carmen.
It must have been a good omen because his mother was named Carmen too! Trini and Carmen married in 1950 and that union produced 12 children! Together the three of them, mom, dad and grandma, opened the first restaurant in 1961. From then on, the family restaurants have been dotted and loved all over Oakland County.
We take pride and joy in sharing and serving you with our family recipes.
Thank you for your continued patronage all these years.
God Bless.
Teresa Martinez-Boyd
In Loving Memory of Trinidad "Trini" Martinez
