Talk Story with an Advertiser: Lucy’s Taqueria
Lucy’s Taqueria is a casual, fun, and happy Mexican restaurant serving food, drinks, beers, and margaritas.
Owners Gabriel (Tomas) Ramirez and Marlene Akana Hall met on O‘ahu in 1990 and then moved to Seattle in 1994. After their arrival in Washington, they set out to find jobs, eating at several Mexican places in the process. This unintended “research” drove them to conclude that no one cooked as good as Tomas, so they decided to solve that problem, and their job problem, by opening their own restaurant: Gordito’s Healthy Mexican Food in Greenwood, WA.
Two more locations and 16 years later, their son and 21-year-old namesake, Shannon (the little Gordito), declared to his parents that he was never leaving home. “Oh no,” was their response, and within a year, they moved back to O‘ahu, leaving their son the house and the restaurants, knowing that he was fully prepared to operate the restaurants having grown up in them.
Tomas and Marlene then moved to Hilo to live in Marlene’s grandparents house to see if retirement on Hawai‘i Island was more suitable. They immediately loved it.
About six months after moving to Hilo, they took over their friend Carlos’ tamale business. Carlos has a daughter named Lucia, and Marlene and Tomas’ daughter is named Lucy, so they called the businesses Lucy’s Tamales and Lucy’s Tamales Salsas.
Marlene says of that time, “We got to know all of the local farmers, which would play a big role in our produce for Lucy’s Taqueria.”
She continues, “A few months later, our nephew, David Ramirez called and said, ‘why don’t you open a restaurant and we will move over and work?’ We originally said ‘nah, we are retired,’ ” and soon changed their minds. David and his family moved over, and Lucy’s Taqueria was born.
It’s been two years since Lucy’s opened and the owners still love what they’re doing.
Marlene loves their business and applauds their customers. “We feel so lucky to be in Hilo and have such a fun restaurant with the best customers! Thank you to Hilo and everyone, from everywhere who come in. Your happiness makes us happy.”
Lucy’s Taqueria
194 Kilauea Ave, Hilo
808.315.8246
LucysTaqueria.com
