On Retailing

Tuesday, September 5, 2000

New Price's Chef owner plans few changes

Betty Charles learned to enjoy cooking while on the job at another restaurant

For a woman who never cooked before arriving in the United States 24 years ago, the new owner of Price's Chef restaurant said she has become a big fan of the pan.
   Mei Yu "Betty" Charles, 50, became the new owner of the well-known Six Points restaurant on Aug. 1. Charles said the main plans now are to fix up the more than half-century-old diner, but outside of a few new dishes, there's nothing fancy on her plate.
   "A lot of customers have been coming in for 40 and 50 years," said Charles' 27-year-old son, Clyde Brunson.
   The diner's previous owner was Jeff Dolson, who took over the reins in 1990. He served as manager for the dining spot that his family had purchased two years earlier. The family also owns Andy's Kitchen, which is managed by Dolson's father and brother-in-law.
   Dolson was named Outstanding Restaurateur for 1998-99 by the Coastal Bend chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association, one of 20 award recipients across Texas chosen by local restaurant association chapters.
   The Outstanding Restaurateur award is given based on a restaurateur's contributions to the industry, the association and community.
   Dolson could not be reached for comment.
   Charles said she's up for the challenge of running the restaurant
   Born in Taiwan, Charles came to the United States because of her first marriage in 1976. By 1981, she had come to Corpus Christi, where she began working at Andy's Kitchen. That's where she learned to cook, from other employees.
   "I kind of liked it and enjoyed myself," she said.
   That enthusiasm continued when she was asked to take over Price's Chef, where she continues doing much of the lunchtime cooking chores. The responsibility of owning her own establishment means handling a lot of pressure, she said, but comes with some benefits as well, such as menu changes.
   Though keeping the items mostly the same, Charles said she plans to return to the diner's turkey-and-dressing offerings on Sundays and introduce banana pudding and more pies.
   The ownership is essentially about a six-month to yearlong trial to see if she'd like to take on the full responsibilities, Charles said.
   Though new flooring and paneling are planned, she intends to preserve the décor.
  

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On Retailing is published every other Tuesday in the Caller-Times business section. Ideas may be submitted to: On Retailing, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, Texas 78469; e-mail Michael Hines at hinesm@caller.com; fax items to (361) 886-3732; or call (361) 886-4316.

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