Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Al Blanton

In Latino culture, a quinceañera is the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday, marking her transition from youth to womanhood. Many women look at their quinceañera as one of the most significant moments in their lives, for both the special cultural significance, and for the festivities surrounding the celebration.

Maria Santacruz's quinceañera was extra special; it's where a friend introduced her to Saul Martinez, the man who would become her husband. Maria and Saul bonded quickly over their similarities. They both grew up on farmland in Michoacan, Mexico, both shared a love for cooking, and both had experience working in restaurants. They fell for each other over small talk and dancing, and they never looked back.

Maria and Saul recently celebrated 35 years of marriage, and are proud parents to five sons: Jose, Eder, Santos, Edwin, and Joel. The family has called Walker County home since 1997, and, through hard work and dedication, have built a beautiful, fruitful life for themselves here, fulfilling many of their dreams for their family's prosperity and wellbeing. In 2018, Maria, Saul, and their sons witnessed their biggest dream come true with the opening of their restaurant, Main Street Taqueria.

"For about ten years, Mom cleaned homes and Dad worked at a used car dealership, and they saved every penny they could to put toward opening a restaurant here," says Joel. "They both had experience in the food service industry and had a shared love for all of it, and they wanted to share that with the people of Walker County."

Main Street Taqueria is a local destination for authentic Mexican cuisine. The small eatery situated on East 19th Street in downtown Jasper boasts a menu of fresh ingredients comprising mouthwatering dishes like street tacos with homemade corn tortillas, and decadent tortas and tamales, in addition to more modern takes on traditional fare, like nachos, burritos, and fajitas.

The Martinez family also ensures that their restaurant serves as a place for folks to gather, building a sense of belonging and camaraderie amongst the members of the community that has supported their family and helped them improve their quality of life.

"Since the Taqueria really took off, my parents have had a much easier life compared to their past experience,” Joel says. “They can go home at close of business and start back the next day rested and not overwhelmed. Without the support of the customers and the people in this community, they wouldn't have that, so our entire family is just so grateful for how this community has welcomed our family business."

Maria and Saul have one simple hope for the future of Main Street Taqueria: to continue being a place people want to visit. They strive to create a welcoming environment and to treat all their customers like friends; for it is that treatment from others that took them from being lovestruck teens dancing the night away at Maria’s quinceañera to successful entrepreneurs who, from time to time, still share a dance. 78