Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
“There's comfort in knowing where I am and what I'm doing,” Vera says. The feeling
of connectedness was even greater within the Dos Locos family, as Don and Vera began
to bond with their staff. “These people who work here are my family and the guests that
come here are my friends,” she says. Twenty years later some of the original staff remain
and Vera has had the pleasure of seeing their children grow up over the years. “My little
family has grown exponentially because of them.”
But it hasn't always been easy. “The beginning years were difficult,” says Vera. Don's
perception of owning a business was to sit in a chair and greet customers. But we were not
going to go broke, not on my dime we weren't!” Her background in accounting served her
well, but at first she wore many hats, including maintenance. Vera arrived early every day
to clean the street gutters, the bathrooms and the kitchen. She treated her restaurant as if it
were her home and she wanted it spotless. She showed her employees by example what her
expectations were until they realized she was there to stay and she wanted things done her
way.
One of the early distinctions of Dos Locos was its live music. Vera had a local musi-
cian come in once a week, hoping to build a nightlife for the bar. “Lance and Letty (now of
Pura Vida Social Club and Ben Jammin' and the Howlers) came into town,” Vera recalls.
