“I remember the first time I came in to La Mesa’s ‘Family Chef Restaurant’ in Feb. 1989 to apply for my first waitress job, and I told the owner Elar Canani that I’d never been a waitress, but if you give me a chance, I’ll prove myself to you.” And prove herself she did. In Aug. 2012, she opened her own restaurant ‘Patty’s Café’ at the former location of ‘Family Chef’.
“I remember the first time I came in to La Mesa’s ‘Family Chef Restaurant’ in Feb. 1989 to apply for my first waitress job, and I told the owner Elar Canani that I’d never been a waitress, but if you give me a chance, I’ll prove myself to you.” And prove herself she did. In Aug. 2012, she opened her own restaurant ‘Patty’s Café’ at the former location of ‘Family Chef’.
At that time I was a single mom with two kids to support. He did hire me, and I learned (how to waitress) from the other girls—it was my school,” said Rodriguez.
That was 23 years ago, and she has come full cycle, to now be the owner of the same restaurant that she had her first job as a waitress.
“I never expected that I’d own this place,” said Rodriguez happily. “Often on Sunday’s I’d see families with kids I knew when there 12,” she added. She and her husband Alberto have also owned ‘Mira Mar Cafe,’ for eight years. They previously owned ‘Frank’s Happy Chef’, which later became ‘The Mission Gorge Cafe,’ on Mission Gorge Rd. in San Diego.
“We bought ‘Frank’s’ in Dec. 2010 and only owned it for fourteen months. Unfortunately, our rent went up to $11,000 per month, so we closed it in Feb. 2012,” explained Rodriguez. “I seem to have a history of working in restaurants, and then surprisingly, I wind up owning them,” she said.
One day, I was talking to myself and I dreamed that I would buy a restaurant,” she said. “I was so said when we closed “Mission Gorge Cafe,” she added. At that point Rodriguez had no intention of purchasing another restaurant. “However, my broker said ‘I have a perfect spot for you.’ He told her that it was currently ‘Pedro’s Mexican Restaurant’ and when he took her to see it, she realized it was the original ‘Family Chef,’ she was happily surprised. “We lost so much money with ‘Mission Gorge Café,’ that my husband asked how we can afford this.
I always believe that when God wants something for you, he finds a way to give it to you,” she said.
‘Patty’s Café’ is located at 6155 Lake Murray Blvd., La Mesa. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sun. from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, call (619) 462-1922.
