Okie from Muskogee: Former Texan plants deep roots in Muskogee

It could be said Enrique Gomez' two businesses balance each other out.

He owns Chavas Mexican Restaurant and Champion Fitness. Both ventures keep him busy. 

"I'm at the restaurant eight hours a day six days a week," he said. "At Champion, I spend about two hours working out and three hours a day, about 20 hours a week." 

Gomez grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area town of Granbury.

He said he originally wanted to go into the Marines. However, he said his protective mother vetoed that career choice after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. 

"I was fixing to go to police academy and took a year off," he said. 

That was when he joined his family in the restaurant business.

"My parents owned a little store," he said. "My uncle did more in the restaurant business. He got us into it."

He recalled how his father and uncle got him restaurant work in a town he had never heard of — Muskogee.

"I said 'where is that town at!'" Gomez said. "When I first came here, it was kind of like a shock. Everything's just way different here. I was used to the big city living."

He said his father said, "Do you want to help me for six months."

"That six months has turned into 15 years," Gomez said.

Gomez put on some pounds over the next eight years running the restaurant. He joined Champion in 2013.

The fitness center went up for sale in 2017.

"So I decided to jump on it," he said, adding that he kept most of the employees and equipment.

He said a "great general manager" at Champion allows him to straddle his two businesses.

In addition to his businesses, Gomez has another interest. Gomez recalls being fascinated by fast cars since he was 13.

"I bought my first car," he said. "I worked hard for my money. That's my hobby basically, just having fast cars.”

VIGNETTES

Learning ropes

of a business

Enrique Gomez and his brother, Martin, opened their Muskogee restaurant in 2005.

He recalled having a rough time that first year.

"Every month, it seemed like Dad always was backing money on it," he said. "I was barely 20 years old, and I didn't know how to run it."

Gomez recalled working 13 hours a day. He said he and his brother did their own cooking.

"I don't think my brother and I took a day off in 10 months," he said. "Thirteen hours a day in 10 months got tiring."

Business got easier after that first year, he said.

Gomez said a key was "giving great customer service, getting friendships, letting them know that we're not going to open just three months."

"They loved our food and they just kept coming back," he said. "A lot of our first customers, I'm still friends with them. There's a lot of loyalty in this town." 

He said he changed the menu about four times.

"Each time I changed the menu, I'd just kind of play around with things and create new items," he said.

Gomez said the support of the town has been the key to success.

He said his biggest reward has been interaction with customers. 

"Just the people you see in and out," he said. "You go in there, have conversation, see how they're doing."

Working out

to feel better 

Gomez started working out in 2013.

"I kind of had gained a little weight from eating all my Mexican food through the years," he said. "I was pretty hefty and was like 'man, I ought to get back into the gym.'"

He said he began lifting weights, working out three times a week, and "fell in love with it."

"At the beginning, I didn't really know what I was doing," he said. "I didn't know how to lift weights, so I was kind of more into the cardio and trying to figure out the movements."

He said he watched a lot of YouTube videos and began working out with others after a year.

"I actually started pumping that iron," he said.

Gomez said buying the gym cut into his workout schedule, but he's getting back into a routine. 

"In the past two weeks, I've been trying to just get focused," he said. "That time that I'm here, make it for me and do business afterwards."

He said he now comes every morning before he starts the workday.

"It just makes you feel better with yourself," he said. "It gives you that drive, that confidence you need. It makes you feel good inside."

Rebuilding a

classic car 

Gomez put a lot of work in his latest fast car, a 1967 Ford Mustang. He said he found it while poring through the Craigslist online want ads.

"I actually wanted a Camaro, but those are pretty pricey," he said. "This one cost about $3,500."

He said the Mustang was "fully gutted" with old green paint. He said he needed help fixing it up and ended up taking it to his brother-in-law for body work.

"I spent a lot of money on that one," he said. "It's very unique, because I didn't leave it stock. I changed everything up. It definitely stands out among all the other Mustangs."

Gomez said the car still looks like a vintage Mustang, but with the high performance appeal of a Mustang Shelby.

"The hood is longer, the front bumpers are a little longer also," he said. "They have side pipes on the door sides. They have sequential lights on the back. It's got fender flares on the sides."

He put in a 302 engine in it.

"Oh, yeah! It sounds good," Gomez said. "You can't beat the muscle sound."

However, he said he hasn't driven his Mustang for a couple of years because he's been busy.

"I love my Ford Raptor, driving it around," he said. "I have a lot of stuff to carry."

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE AN OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE? 

"My uncles saw a (restaurant) location and they mentioned it to us. We wanted to be entrepreneurs instead of working for someone else. They brought us to Muskogee."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT MUSKOGEE?

"I gained a lot of great friendships here, a lot of business people. There are great people in this town. There are people here who want to help."

WHAT WOULD MAKE MUSKOGEE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE?

"There are a lot of homeless and a lot of drugs in this town. I feel if all the business owners could set aside a fund where each month we could give X-amount to help charities, it would benefit the town a lot more and make people come into this town more. Right now, Muskogee's really not growing because we're bringing in a lot of low-paying jobs. If we're able to eliminate a little of the problem of homelessness, it would attract more higher-paying jobs."

WHAT PERSON IN MUSKOGEE DO YOU ADMIRE MOST?

"My pastor, Daniel Miller. A few months ago, I was going through a rough stage in my life. I contacted him and ever since then, it's helped me out a lot mentally and physically. I'm just glad to be a part of that church, and glad to be with him."

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE THING TO HAPPEN TO YOU IN MUSKOGEE?

"Doing the event for Rotary Club for Party in the Park. Obviously, people go for the wine tasting and the presentation of food, but I liked meeting new people and interacting with them."

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

"I love fast cars. It's kind of hard to get spare time. When I do, it's soccer or I watch some sports."

HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP MUSKOGEE IN 25 WORDS OR LESS?

"A great town. It has a lot of potential and the need and want to be successful." 

Meet Enrique Gomez

AGE: 35.

HOMETOWN: Granbury, Texas.

EDUCATION: Granbury High School, 2003. 

PROFESSION: Owner, Champion Fitness and Chavas Mexican Restaurant. 

FAMILY: Son, 12. 

CHURCH: Trinity Family Worship, Fort Gibson.

HOBBIES: Playing sports, including soccer; going to sporting events.