Today we’d like to introduce you to Mayela Tamayo.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My family is from Guanajuato, Mexico and we migrated to the USA in 1988. My father took whatever odd jobs he could to help support the family- including a job at a BBQ restaurant. He was employed at the BBQ restaurant for 20+ years when he decided he was knowledgeable enough to venture out and start his own business. He started the family business in 2004, Splendora Café, and it expanded rapidly. While my family grew the business, I decided that I wanted to be a nurse. I focused on my nursing career and helped out at the restaurant when I could. I initially received my Associate’s degree in nursing and then, my Bachelor’s degree. I had to juggle two jobs- helping out at the restaurant and nursing. In 2014, an opportunity arose to open up a second restaurant, Manny’s BBQ and Grill. When we first opened Manny’s, I was dedicated to only the business so I quit my nursing job. Leaving my nursing career was hard because I loved it, but I knew eventually, I would go back. When the opportunity presented itself, I went back to nursing, because I really did miss it. For a while, I worked seven days a week, 12-hour shifts, it was intense but it was worth it. Going back to nursing made me realize that nursing was my passion and that’s when I decided to go back to school for my Master’s Degree in Nursing. Since then, the family restaurants are doing great and I recently graduated as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle was starting a business from the ground up. I was too young to know the amount of work that went into building Splendora Café. When it came time to open Manny’s BBQ and Grill, there were a lot of details that had to be addressed. This is a daily struggle as guidelines and laws change frequently and we must comply with current practices. Learning to run a business has definitely been very challenging and stressful. Luckily, I have two brothers that have helped me along the way as well as my parents.
Maintaining a career outside of the restaurant business was another struggle. I often felt a sense of accountability for the restaurant which made it hard to manage to have my own career while helping out the family.
With these things in mind, I think it’s most important for women to be mindful of the amount of work that goes in to starting your own business or starting your career. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it, anything is possible as long as you have the drive and the passion. Take my parents, for example, they came from Mexico with very little and now they own two restaurants. They are an example of what the American dream is. They have always been my motivation.
I also think that it’s important to keep learning, whether it’s in school or learning a new skill, never stop learning. Find something that you are good at and that you love and master it. My mom always says that your education is something that one can take from you and I truly believe that. I continue to learn new things about running a business as well as nursing. Whatever your dream, work hard for it and never give up. Stay humble and always be grateful.
We’d love to hear more about Manny’s BBQ & Grill and Splendora Cafe & BBQ.
My family and I work as a team to run both restaurants. I help my father at Manny’s and older brother and mother run Splendora café. We are known for our large portions of delicious BBQ. We also offer more than just BBQ and I believe that makes us unique because we provide different options for our customers. We offer freshly cooked burgers, chicken fried steak, salads, quesadillas, catfish, fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, and the list goes on. Because we are a small, family-owned business, people feel like they are part of the family every time they dine with us. We have some customers that are like part of our family, they have been there since the beginning. We have really developed a close relationship with them.
I am most proud of my parents for all the hard work and dedication they exhibited to build this family business to what it is today. I’m also proud of our employees, they help us run our restaurants. Shout out to all our employees and our customers! We love y’all! It definitely feels good when I see customers become regulars.
I’m also proud of myself. Going back to school was a difficult decision and it was definitely hard to manage everything while I was in school, but I did it! I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of my family and my boyfriend. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me as a Family Nurse Practitioner and in the family business.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
I love to listen to Gary Vee’s podcast. He is a great motivational speaker! I also have a great group of friends. We are always pushing each other and motivating each other to be the best we can be.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1101 West Dallas St
Conroe, TX 777301 - Website: http://mannysbbqrestaurant.com
- Phone: 9364943510
- Email: mannysbbqgrill@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannysbbqgrill/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mannys-BBQ-and-Grill-910846288960562/
Image Credit:
Crystal Arvizu, Barry Boriskie
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