By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Fernando Gallegos came to Slidell with one thing in mind: to live in a good place where he could raise his “bambino.”
Nineteen years later, he still enjoys Slidell, the restaurant he owns “Los Tres Amigos,” his wife Maria of 22 years, and his 20-year-old college-student son.
Gallegos and his wife are originally from Mexico, but have been here in the United States for over 20 years. Gallegos got his start in the restaurant business when a friend hired him in Mobile, Ala. to be a waiter. He worked there for six years before opening a restaurant in Hammond, and in 1995, he opened Los Tres Amigos at 3636 Pontchartrain Dr. in Slidell.
“When we came to Slidell, we had a two year old baby, and I talked to a lot of good people about what kind of town it was here. They said, ‘You have a bambino, and this is a good place to be,’” Gallegos said.
The restaurant was thriving for Gallegos and his family before Hurricane Katrina hit, but once it did, the Pontchartrain business was completely damaged.
“We were closed for a year and a half to repair the building, but thank God we had opened another location on Gause Boulevard before Katrina. That was the only restaurant open after Katrina, and it did so much business that it kept us going thank God,” Gallegos said. “It took a lot of time, but we finally opened back up.”
Gallegos is 64 years old and says he will not retire until his son is done with college and no longer needs his help.
“My son tells me he does not want me to always help him so he wants to keep moving up wherever he is working. He is getting his degree in criminal justice and would like to work for the FBI one day,” Gallegos said.
He added that his son said he has seen the long hours his father puts in at the restaurant and chose to take a different path.
“This job is harder than working in the oil field, which I used to do. The hours are so long and you cannot take off work rarely,” Gallego said. “Some days you get so tired that you need a break, but this business is part of me.”
Gallego said his wife is a big help to him, and he believes he has been successful because he does not care about the money even though it is important. He said he cares about what people say about him.
“I want people to say, ‘That old man is a good guy,’” Gallegos said. “That’s me. That’s part of my story.”
Los Tres Amigos is located at 3636 Pontchartrain Dr. in Slidell. For more information, call 985-649-6099.