From Our Roots to Your Table: The Story That Shaped Chula’s
- Mercedes Dahl
- Jan 10
- 2 min read
Before Chula’s had a name.
Before there were menus, renderings, or doors to open.
There was family.
Where the Story Begins
The photographs you see here are more than pieces of history, they are reminders of where everything began.
In the image above are Manny Perez’s grandparents, Maria and Gumecindo Perez, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the late 1800s. They came with little more than hope, resilience, and the belief that their sacrifices would create a better life for the generations that followed. At the time, they could not have imagined how far their family’s story would travel.
Life, however, was not gentle.
Manny’s grandfather passed away from tuberculosis when Manny’s father, Manuel, was only three years old. A loss like that leaves an imprint, not just on a child, but on an entire family. Manuel grew up without knowing his biological father, raised instead by a mother who had to be strong long before she ever planned to be.
Family Is More Than Blood
But family has a way of finding you.
Manuel’s mother, Maria, remarried, and the man standing beside him in the second photograph is Pablo Garcia. Pablo entered Manuel’s life when he was still very young and became the only father figure Manuel truly knew. He didn’t have to step in, but he did. He showed up, provided stability, guidance, and love, and helped shape the man Manuel would become.
That quiet, steady presence mattered.
These moments, the hardships, the love, the people who stepped in when they didn’t have to, are the foundation of Manny Perez’s life. They are the lessons passed down through generations: that family is not always perfect, but it is everything. That showing up matters. That resilience and love can coexist, even in the hardest seasons.
The Meaning Behind Chula’s
Chula’s was born from these values.
For Manny, Chula’s is not just a restaurant. It is a reflection of his family’s journey. It is a place built to feel welcoming, familiar, and warm, the kind of place where generations gather, where stories are shared over meals, and where everyone feels like they belong.
It is also a tribute to heritage. To the Mexican roots that shaped Manny’s family. To the Latin traditions of gathering, cooking, celebrating, and connecting. To the belief that food has always been a way to bring people together, especially in times when words fall short.
Every detail at Chula’s is intentional. Every dish, every space, every experience is designed with family in mind, the families who built this place, and the families who will walk through its doors.
Because at Chula’s, family isn’t just part of the story.
It is the story.
And when you sit at our table, you become part of it too.
