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In September 2004, the Vasquez Hacienda celebrated its 30th Anniversary by inviting the Elk Rapids community to an afternoon and evening of food, music, and dancing. It was the Vasquez family's way of thanking the community for their uninterrupted patronage over those three decades. In the photo at left, Hacienda owners Al and Elaine Vasquez pose at the 30th anniversary party with the sign from their original taco stand in Elk Rapids. It was a long haul for the Vasquez family, but they made it! Below, Elaine Vasquez outlines the history of the Hacienda. The section concludes with a 2004 article from the Elk Rapids Town Meeting. Read on! |
| Elaine says: "We started in a small, three-room garage apartment converted into a cooking room, work room, and storage room. It was a take-out only restaurant for the only Mexican food in the area! At the Taco Hut, all tortillas were made by hand because at that time there were no sources for Mexican food in this area. Our menu was tacos, burritos, and home-made tamales. Pizza was our back-up! | ||||
"We bought a small business called the Sip & Bite in September of 1974, and introduced a sit-down service Mexican restaurant to the area for the first time. When we started, our menu was mostly American food, with Mexican food only being served on weekends. |
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"Today our menus are 75% Mexican, and we are still introducing new dishes. The American dishes include traditional local favorites of Friday fish fry dishes and Saturday prime rib specials. All of our food is home-made! We are constantly upgrading our menu with authentically-prepared Mexican dishes. Today we are starting to market our salsa, and, before long, our enchilada sauce." |
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Years ago, while picking cherries on the east side of U.S. 31, Al Vasquez never dreamed that he would own a successful restaurant just across the road. Nor did he realize that dream wouldn't have been possible without his partner, wife and friend Elaine. The couple met in 1964. Al had been coming up north from Texas to pick and pack cherries, and Elaine's parents owned the Rainbow Garden. The two "met on the street," and fell in love. "I really don't remember how we ended up together," Elaine said. "There really isn't any big story, we just sort-of met on the street." |
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The real story actually began about six years later, when the now-married couple opened the Taco Hut on Cairn Highway (Ames Street), near where Meadowview Commons is today. "It was an old veterinarian's office, that we turned into a takeout business," Al said. "We sold mostly Mexican food, with some Polish thrown in as well." |
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After three years of success, the couple decided to look for a larger facility. The old "Sip-N-Bite/Orchard" restaurant on U.S. 31 was for sale, and they decided to sell their house and land near Bass Lake to purchase the business. It was a gamble for the growing family, with two young children - Jennifer and Al Jr. in tow - and a third one on the way. "I was six months pregnant with Nick when we bought the place on Sept. 3, 1974," Elaine said. "That was an interesting day." |
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What made it interesting, according to Al, is that the place was robbed before it even opened for business. "I was driving down to Lansing to pick up the liquor license," he said. "When I got back, we went over to get ready to open and found out we'd been robbed. The liquor was gone along with the tobacco products and some other items." |
Rather than delay, the couple cleaned up, used what little money they had in their pockets for supplies, and opened the doors. "We figured whatever we made that first night, we'd put right back into the business and buy what we could for the second night. And that's the way it went for a little while," said Al. And so it went for the next 30 years. As the kids grew, so did the business, into a regional mainstay for locals and visitors alike. "We've seen a lot," Al said shaking his head, "but it's been good." |
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All three children literally grew up in the restaurant - rising through the ranks from washing dishes to busing and waiting tables, to cooking or bartending. Today Al Jr. and Jennifer have moved on to their own successful careers, while Nick is following in his parent's footsteps. Besides running his own "Rolling Thunder" DJ business, Nick spends most of his time managing the Hacienda's bar, and stepping in for his folks as needed. "I remember as a kid washing dishes for 50 cents a load over my lunch hour," Nick said, "so I could earn money to play video games." |
Working with, or stepping over the Vasquez' children over the years, are several long-term staff members including Al's sister Clelia Bolton, who started at the Taco Hut and recently began her 33rd year in the business. Nola Boals, who worked at the Rainbow and was Elaine's baby sitter, has been with the family almost as long. Kathy Coyne started in 1977, and Mary (Bowe) Vasquez has put in 18 years at the Hacienda. The restaurant currently employs 29 in the summer, with far less in winter. |
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| "A lot of our employees are high school and college kids," said Al. "For some, it's their first job. We've had three generations who have worked here. At least one couple met here while working together and ended up getting married." As the staff matured or moved on, so too has the menu. |
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"When we first started, we only offered primarily American food," said Al. "We basically only sold burritos, tacos and enchiladas on Friday and Saturday nights, because we made the tortillas by hand." "We would work through the night making those tortillas," said Elaine, "and everyone would pitch in and help. We still make some, but it would be impossible to try and keep up like that today." The Hacienda's famous burrito remains its best seller, but other favorites are quickly catching up. " |
"Besides the burritos," Elaine said, "enchiladas are always popular along with the flowering tostadas. Empanadas (a Mexican-type pastie) are the big thing now, along with Carnitas, which is roast pork with Mexican seasonings. "Everything is made here, so people know it's fresh," she added. Elaine would know. She oversees the kitchen and does the bulk of prep/cook work, while Al handles the dining room. |
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"I can do everything except cook," Al said with a laugh. "I leave that up to the experts. I'm more of the public relations guy, making sure everything runs smoothly in the dining room and bar." With that arrangement, the couple often finds themselves on opposite ends of the clock. But both are seasoned enough to know that owning a business, like marriage, begins and succeeds with sacrifice. "We knew what we were getting into a long time ago," Al said. |
"It's away of life," Elaine added, "The summers are busy, but that's when you make two-thirds of your income up here. The winters are slower, but with less staff, you end up working harder." |
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And that attitude has paid off. Along with building a strong customer base, the restaurant has earned numerous awards - including "best margarita" - to top burritos and enchiladas in the state - from various publications. The couple also believes in supporting their community. They have often donated their time and resources to many local organizations, and are strong supporters of programs at the school. Whatever is left over, they put right back into the business. While much of their "profit" is literally eaten up by ever-escalating wholesale food prices, several improvements have been made over years. In 1976 a bigger dining room was added, while an addition to the kitchen was completed earlier this year. |
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So far, only one change generated "serious" controversy. A year or two back, Al decided to take out the video games in the bar area."I got a letter from a kid, who was really upset and sad that we did that," Al said, "and I also heard from some mothers - so they went back in. Every year something changes around here, but I guess the games will stay." |
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Looking ahead, both Al and Elaine would like to pull back a bit from their current responsibilities, and let Nick step in more. Elaine hopes to market more of her own items - the Hacienda's popular red and green sauces are already available at Village Market - while Al would just like to take a break. "With a restaurant, you never really get time for yourself," Al said, "there's always something. And now we're hoping to start taking more time for ourselves." Just when that will happen is hard to say. After all, most of the younger employees are now back at school. And with color tours and holiday parties just around the corner, extra help is hard to find. Especially seasoned help who - even after more than three decades -understand that working nights, weekends and holidays are all still part of the sacrifice. |
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