Maria Ninfa Rodriquez—who went by her middle name, Ninfa—was born in 1924 in Harlingen, Texas, along the Mexico border. One of twelve children, she grew up in a humble Catholic family who grew and raised their own food, living modestly but happily.
In 1945 Ninfa married the love of her life, “D.T.” Laurenzo, and a few years later they settled in Houston, where they opened the Rio Grande Tortilla Factory in a building next to their home. Together they ran the factory for twenty years, achieving modest financial success and providing a comfortable life and private education for their five children.
Then, in 1969, the roller coaster ride of Ninfa’s life really began. Her beloved D.T. suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and died in her arms, leaving her a widow and single mother of five children. To make matters worse, their once thriving tortilla factory had begun to struggle. But Ninfa persevered, continuing to rise at 3:30 AM each morning to roll out corn tortillas and keep the factory going. Even so, after a few years it was apparent the family business was no longer sustainable unless something changed.
In a last-ditch effort to make ends meet, the resourceful widow scraped together pots and pans from her own kitchen, borrowed money from a friend, and in 1973 turned half of the tortilla factory into “Ninfa’s”—a quaint little Mexican food restaurant specializing in tacos al carbon. The restaurant, run by Ninfa and four of her five children, was an immediate hit.
Then two weeks later, Ninfa’s burned to the ground.
Remarkably, Ninfa and her children were undeterred, and their little restaurant was quickly rebuilt, experiencing even greater success after its second opening. What had started as an act of desperation in an attempt to provide for her family quickly became a thriving business with a reputation that spread across the state.
From John Travolta to Reba McEntire to President George H.W. Bush, Ninfa’s welcomed celebrities alongside the locals, and was a popular destination known not only for its delicious fare, but for the warmth and joy provided by “Mama Ninfa” herself.
Within a decade, there were over a dozen restaurants in the Ninfa chain, and Ninfa herself—once a struggling single mom trying to make ends meet—was a millionaire who continued to bring her personal touch to her namesake restaurant.
Sadly, the tide of success eventually turned. Due to rapid expansion and less attention to detail outside the watchful eye of Mama Ninfa, in the mid ‘90s the Laurenzo family’s restaurant chain was faced with bankruptcy and ultimately sold. Despite that unfortunate twist on the roller coaster ride of her life, Ninfa remained joyful, thanking God for the blessings she’d experienced that had gotten her and her family through their most difficult season.
One last bump on the ride led into the twilight of Ninfa’s life: breast cancer. Even in the face of her final days, Ninfa kept a twinkle in her eyes and love in her heart for the thousands who fondly called her “mama.” It had been a roller coaster of a life, with plenty of ups and downs, but she had enjoyed the ride.
At the age of 77 Ninfa Laurenzo passed away, leaving behind a legacy of hard work, resourcefulness, and a passion for feeding people good food. In her book Is This Seat Taken? It’s Never Too Late to Find the Right Seat, author Kristin Kaufman sums up the important life lessons to be taken from Ninfa’s legacy:
“There is no such thing as life without a skinned knee. The individuals who move through life courageously and joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives absent of hardship, rich only in success and prosperity. Such people have, however, made the choice to take the circumstances they’ve been handed and make them into something great… We do not control all the experiences life will give to us, yet we do control our responses in thought, word, and deed. Mama Ninfa did not shy away; rather, she put her face to the wind and simply did what she had to do to provide for her family.”
How about you, are you putting your face to the wind and enjoying the roller coaster ride of your life? Learn from the legacy of Mama Ninfa: move through life courageously and joyously, and enjoy the ride!
