Redevelopment means family has to find a new location
Published in the June 24 – July 9, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Robert Airoldi
Photo by Marty Cheek
Jesus Gomez makes a pot of refried beans in the family’s downtown Morgan Hill restaurant.
When Jesus Gomez and his wife Reyna decided to buy a failing restaurant at the corner of Depot and Third streets, they needed a few hundred dollars to open a bank account for their new business. But they’d spent on all their money buying the restaurant and paying off the former owner’s old debts — payroll and utilities. So, in the middle of the night, they raided their daughter Evelyn’s piggy bank of the entire contents: $300.
“Now, she’s my partner,” Jesus said with a smile during a recent interview at the downtown restaurant that has become a local favorite.
The first day they opened, June 1, 1989, they made $25.
“It was very scary for them,” Evelyn said.
Reyna was working at a local bakery and was hesitant to give up her secure job and the income that came with it, but Jesus insisted. They have now been in business for 26 years and have developed a loyal following of customers. They have worked six days a week for the past 26 years, except for a few short vacations. Of the 11 employees, eight are family, including two cousins who work in the kitchen, three waitresses and a dishwasher.
Gomez came to the United States from Jalisco, Mexico in 1977, following one of his older brothers. Of his seven brothers and four sisters, about half immigrated to the U.S. He toiled in the fields of Gilroy and worked at Pepe’s (now closed) and at Victoria’s Mexican restaurants. That’s where he first met Reina. They lived together for six years before marrying in 1990. They each have a child from previous relationships, and then the couple had Evelyn, 29, and Jose, 23.
In addition to cooking at Victoria’s, Jesus learned his craft at Pepe’s in the ‘70s and from other cooks. His food, he said, is a mix from different regions of Mexico made to please the taste of Americans.
The restaurant features breakfast, lunch and dinner, all of which include traditional Mexican dishes and several American meals sprinkled in. For example, patrons can get bacon and eggs or huevos con nopales for breakfast, a hamburger and fries or a chile relleno for lunch, a burrito or lengua de res for dinner. They also serve a host of seafood dishes, including Caldo de 7 Mares (Soup of 7 Seas), Camarones a la Diabla (Devil Hot Shrimp), or Caldo de Pescado (Catfish Soup). They also serve a host of appetizers and beer and wine, as well as Jarritos (Mexican sodas).
Jesus said he enjoys cooking a good meal for his customers, many of whom have been coming since the restaurant opened and feels pride making them a good meal.
After 26 years of building a successful business, the family is now embarking on a perilous journey. The city has sold the property where they’re located to a firm that will redevelop the entire Depot Center property that includes BookSmart, King’s Martial Arts, Cherisse’s Hair Salon, and Peking Restaurant. The city will reimburse those affected by the move, but the business owners must begin spending money related to the move and renovations by Nov. 1. Jesus and his wife are looking at another location north of town, but haven’t finalized anything yet.
“One thing that’s very scary is we pay very little here for rent,” Evelyn said. “The other location is a bit smaller and more expensive and that’s a big concern. We’ve always tried to keep our prices low. With the higher rent we’d probably have to increase prices.”
The city’s staff have helped them navigate through the process, she said, and the family is pursing options, but collectively they are sad to have to leave the downtown area they’ve called home for the past quarter-century.
“The uncertainty is the reason why it’s hard on the whole family,” she said. While getting reimbursed for expenses related to moving is helpful, it can’t relieve the stress, she said.
Jesus, his wife and Evelyn all said it’s always gratifying to hear customers tell them they were happy with their meals.
“So many have been coming here for years, some since the very beginning,” Evelyn said. “Now their kids are bringing their families.”
And they are also pleased with the loyalty they’ve developed.
“We are very thankful to our customers for supporting us,” said Evelyn, a new mother to a 7-month old. “They remind us they’ll go wherever we go, but it’s still really hard and overwhelming.”
