The oldest chain of restaurants with Mexican cuisine appeared in Dallas in 1918. It was named El Fenix in Spanish after the phoenix bird. According to mythology, it arose from its own ashes. Read more on dallas1.one.
El Fenix has remained one of the most popular Mexican cuisine restaurants for many decades. The townspeople note that there are often long queues of those willing to dine at these restaurants on weekends.
The history of El Fenix
In 1911, a year after the revolution began in Mexico, Miguel Martinez was forced to leave his native country and move to the Texas city of Dallas. Almost immediately after the move, the man was lucky enough to meet the emigrant Faustina Porras, with whom he would raise 8 children.
Having lived in Dallas for a little more than 5 years, Miguel Martinez found himself understanding what kind of food the city’s residents prefer. A self-confident Mexican opened a small restaurant called Martinez Café on the corner of Griffin Street and McKinney Ave. This part of the city is known as Little Mexico. At first, Miguel performed almost all the work by himself. He met visitors and offered them the best seats, prepared orders and even washed dishes.
Since its opening, Martinez Café has served exclusively Anglo-American dishes. Gradually, Miguel Martinez added Mexican dishes to the menu and invited guests to try them. Collecting feedback from visitors, he improved the range. On September 15, 1918, he renamed Martinez Café El Fenix. In the new name, Martinez referred to his life philosophy of turning failures into victories.
In 1925, Miguel Martinez was forced to close his restaurant because its popularity was growing every day and there was simply no place to seat the visitors. To expand the space, the man purchased the premises of a former grocery store located at 1608 McKinney, now better known as Uptown.
Mid-1930s: El Fenix’s heyday
In the mid-1930s, Miguel Martínez purchased another building adjacent to his increasingly popular establishment. After furnishing the room, he named it El Fenix Ballroom. The opening of another part of the establishment, which was created purely for entertainment, coincided with the Great Depression. Therefore, it was highly appreciated by the townspeople. The appearance of a place where they could relax and have fun was important for locals. The El Fenix Ballroom featured live music from the El Fenix Orchestra and dancing. Saturday night radio broadcasts were also broadcast live here.
Incendiary evenings at El Fenix were not complete without famous guests. After their performances at the Adolphus and Baker hotels, such celebrities as Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, James Kern and others came to the Mexican restaurant. They liked the Mexican food and cold beer served at the Dallas restaurant.
The biggest highlight of El Fenix in the 1930s was air conditioning. Visitors could comfortably eat and dance in any weather without fear of sweating. In this regard, the restaurant became a leader in innovative thinking.
Activities during the Second World War and after it
In 1941, Faustina and Miguel Martinez finally became citizens of the United States of America. It would seem that nothing could overshadow their happiness and success. However, the Second World War began and their sons were taken to the front.
To distract himself from sad thoughts, Miguel moved to his childhood estate, Hacienda Del Potrero, in Mexico. He generously shared his wealth, which he managed to accumulate during these years in Dallas, with the needy Mexicans. He provided them with electricity and water, laid out the central square of the town and even installed benches with the names of his children and grandchildren written on them. El Fenix continued its work at this time with certain limitations. Before the start of the war, the establishment worked 24/7. During it, the restaurant was closed for a curfew from midnight to six in the morning.
After the end of World War II, the four sons of the Martinez family returned home. Miguel made the decision to leave El Fenix, so he transferred the stake to his children. However, before retiring completely, the man gathered all his children and instructed them to continue his unique business and maintain the activities at a decent level.
Signature dish of El Fenix
El Fenix’s signature dish was developed in the mid-1950s. It still remains one of the most favorite for the townspeople on the menu. It is called Enchilada Wednesday. It includes two handmade enchiladas with Wisconsin cheddar cheese, rice and beans. Until the mid-1960s, it could be ordered every Wednesday with a 50% discount for just 65 cents.
The signature dish was absent from the menu from the 1970s to the 1980s. However, since it was last returned, it is still one of Dallasites’ favorite dishes.
When did the chain establishments open?
We already mentioned that the very first place called Martinez Café opened a few years after Miguel moved to Dallas. The second was larger and was opened in 1925. However, we still don’t know when exactly Miguel Martinez’s Mexican restaurants started turning into a chain.
The third El Fenix establishment was opened in March 1948 in the Oak Cliff area. This restaurant combined Spanish and Mexican traditions in its menu and interior. The next one appeared in 1956 in the Casa Linda shopping center. Having planned the opening for months, this restaurant had a beautifully designed space and a kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment. The latter was called one of the best in the southwest. In addition to modern renovation, a special level of sanitation was maintained thanks to stainless steel equipment. New chain locations continued to open throughout the 1960s on Lemmon and Inwood, on Northwest Highway and Hillcrest, on Ridgelea and in Fort Worth. Interestingly, the design of each establishment differed from each other, but the menu remained the same.
As a result, it took El Fenix 50 years to grow from a small Mexican cafe to a chain of 11 favorite locations for nearly all Dallas residents and visitors. Throughout the thorny path, Miguel Martinez told that it takes a lot of work to become a legend in the modern restaurant business.
Death of Miguel Martinez
Miguel Martinez passed away in 1956 in his childhood home, where he was born and raised. The man devoted the last years of his life to charity. He supported and helped Mexicans living in his homeland. He did it with a calm soul, because he knew that the business of his life was in the reliable hands of his children. After Miguel’s death, a small piece of paper was found in his wallet, on which was written the following: ‘There are rich people who are poor and poor people who are rich’. Undoubtedly, the founder of the chain of Mexican cuisine establishments El Fenix lived his life according to this guideline.