As a young man, PAUL DE LA TORRE grew tired of playing guitar in bars with Dallas’ own Trini Lopez, but he hasn’t tired of waiting tables at the same neighborhood restaurant for the past 51 years. We caught up with him before the lunch rush at Cantina Laredo, where De La Torre started working when it was El Chico.
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED HERE?
Twenty or 21 — I lose track after all these years. I’ve been at only this restaurant. I had to go to another restaurant for a little while to train when we were changing over to Cantina Laredo, but I’ve been a waiter here for 51 years.
WHY DO YOU KEEP COMING BACK?
The restaurant is my second home. The staff here, we all get along, and the customers are really great. I have a lot of customers who have been coming to this restaurant for years. They’re all grown up now and have children of their own. It makes me feel good to wait on them. When people ask why I don’t get another job or go to another restaurant where the pay is better, I tell them, ‘You might get more money, but you might not be happy.’ This place makes me happy.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMOUS CUSTOMERS?
Oh, there are a lot of celebrities that come through here, but I’m bad with names, so I don’t remember. Usually the women, I just call them honey because then I can’t lose. A lot of people around here recognize me. I used to have little kids see me at the grocery store and say, ‘Look, Mom, it’s Mr. El Chico!’ It makes me feel proud that a lot of people know me.
DID YOU EVER EXPECT TO BECOME FAMOUS WORKING AS A WAITER?
When I started here, I didn’t think I would last that long. My daughter’s always telling me, ‘You’re not the same old chicken,’ but I’m not working as many hours as I used to. Those trays get heavy and some of the plates are really big.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WAITING TABLES?
Well, I guess the customers. There are a few bad ones, you know, sometimes they’re kind of rude, but there are so many good ones. The company gave me this gold ring for 20 or 25 years of service. I got this watch for 30 years. For 35 years, they gave me this gold card that lets me eat at any of the company’s restaurants free for the rest of my life. Then maybe I’ll gain some weight. I’ve been this way all my life. I look at food all day long, and I don’t gain a pound. For 50 years, they gave me a big screen TV, and a little money and a plaque that hangs in the front of the restaurant.
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING?
To have patience. Sometimes you’re exhausted. You just have to keep your cool.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED OVER THE YEARS?
Well, there’s so much. You learn through the experience and you learn about people — the way life is — through the customers. I learn from them. I like to listen to them more than I like to talk.
