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Stephen "Papi"
Manuel
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Many resort towns feature a variety of
international cuisine but the great flavor of Belizean dishes is a prime
reason why tourists enjoy dining in San Pedro. Although the most famous
Belizean fare is rice and beans, Stephen "Papi" Manuel from Papi's Diner
takes pride in serving a variety of tasty dishes to tourists and
residents alike, making it one of the best-rated restaurants in San
Pedro.
Papi was born to parents Fidelia Rodriguez and Charles
Manuel, on October
10th, 1956, in Belize
City. The only male child in a family of two older and two younger
sisters, Papi was only a year old when his father fell ill and was
hospitalized, leaving his mother to raise five children alone. Fidelia
and her children lived in Belize City for another five years, until
Hurricane Haiti slammed the city in 1961.
That same year Papi's mother died and this proved to
be a most difficult time for Papi and his sisters. The children were
forced to rely on an aunt, who graciously took them to live on her farm
on the Old Maskal Road, 24 miles north of Belize City. Papi, only five
years old at the time, worked on the farm along with his four sisters,
caring for the cows and chickens and tending the garden for the next
seven years.
Papi also attended New Hope Primary School part of the
time, but the combination of school and work proved too difficult for the
young boy. So, at the age of 12, Papi moved back to Belize City, where he
stayed with uncles and started his first job, selling snow cones and
oranges in front of St. Catherine's Academy. He remained employed there
for the next two years, until he went to work for an ESSO oil company
filling trucks and doing other small chores. Four years later, in 1972,
one of Papi's friends, a man named Mr. Daniel Dawson from San Pedro,
suffered a stroke and asked Papi to help pump oil for the power station
in San Pedro Town. They also offered him a place to live.
Papi jumped at the idea to help his friend and hopped
on a boat. He instantly fell in love with the small island, that he found
"so free and laid back." Papi reflected, "Those were the days when you
could sleep with your door open, kick off your shoes, and even
occasionally fall asleep on the beach."
While he felt like a member of the Dawson family, Papi
felt he needed to take on more responsibility. During this eight-year
stay with the Dawsons, he applied for a job as a bartender at Paradise
Hotel. This commenced a 25-year career as a mixologist for some of San
Pedro's finest establishments. For the next 10 years he worked at Milo's
Hotel and Ambergris Lodge (what is now the Mayan Princess). When he tired
of working at bars, he took a job with San Pedro Distributors working for
Barry Bowen as a driver, for seven years. In 1991, Papi realized that his
true talent was working in public relations and returned to his career as
a bartender. He displayed his abilities for the next nine years at the
Purple Parrot 1 (Ramon's Village), Purple Parrot II (Fido's), and Holiday
Hotel. During his last year as a bartender (2000) he began to build his
restaurant, Papi's Diner, in Boca del Rio.
Papi's Diner has now been serving the community for
three years, having recently celebrated its anniversary on April
1 st, 2003. Papi is
proud to say that among other local dishes, he serves fresh whole snapper
daily, and cooks succulent lobster (in season). Papi's Diner also boasts
scrumptious homemade honey mustard, and tropical pineapple sauces for
chicken or beef. His wife of 23 years, Vicenta, and their five beautiful
children (three girls and two boys): Kainie (22), Stephanie (19), Stephen
(17), Natalie (16), and Ian (15) have all taken an active role in the
restaurant. While Papi's sister-in-law, Irene Vasquez cooks the
mouthwatering food during the day, his wife Vicenta cooks the scrumptious
food served out of their kitchen during the evening.
Papi's business continues to thrive under his careful
guidance, but there are no immediate plans to expand. Papi and his family
are kept busy from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. most every evening. You
might ask yourself, when does this enterprising man get the chance to
relax? The answer is almost never. Papi is almost constantly working but
he sometimes pauses a few minutes to shoot a game of pool (his favorite
pastime). Although he has been a member of the San Pedro Lions Club for
the last 19 years, he is not as active as he would like to be on this
small island that has been his home for 31 years.
Papi's business is more to him that just putting food
on his family's table. He wants to give his children opportunities that
he did not have - primarily an education. "The business is theirs, not
mine. I am working for their benefit," Papi claimed. Apparently, he is on
the right track; Papi's two oldest children have now graduated from San
Pedro High School, and the other three are almost finished.
Papi's advice to others in San Pedro - "Anyone who
wants to do anything can do it, they need only put their mind to it."
Stephen "Papi" Manuel is one individual who is not only catering to the
tourists, but is also making himself happy providing finer food at diner
prices for the local residents in "Our Community."
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