After working in the corporate world for 25 years, Frisco resident Steven Gautier said he was ready for a change.

“I worked in restaurants when I was a kid and in college, and I always thought one day it would be cool to own my own restaurant,” Steven said. “I’ve always wanted to own my own business, but I kind of got trapped in the corporate world. So I just put it on the back burner.”

One day, Steven said he came across an ad announcing the sale of Manny’s Tex-Mex Grill.

Steven said he liked that Manny’s was already an established business and that it was well-known in the community.

Manny’s opened on Main Street in Frisco 15 years ago. It was previously owned by Ricardo Galvan and was an extension of various Tex-Mex restaurants throughout Dallas owned by his family.

Steven’s wife, Kimberly, said she loved the idea of buying Manny’s and couldn’t wait to start. While Steven brought with him the business side, Kimberly brought the creative side, Steven said.

Kimberly worked in Nashville as a professional musician for many years. Together, the Gautiers decided to add live music to Manny’s.

“I think [live music] adds a bit of flavor [to Manny’s],” Kimberly said. “Musicians come to us, and we get referrals from the Frisco Music Center. Living in this small-town area, we all help each other out.”

In May, Manny’s celebrated its 15-year anniversary and first anniversary under the new ownership.

“It’s really been a learning experience for us,” Kimberly said. “Cinco de Mayo 2014 was our initiation. We had only been in business for a few days and we were understaffed, and we were packed.”

Steven and Kimberly are not just working behind the scenes. Patrons may notice Steven and Kimberly greeting guests and serving. On Mondays patrons can even catch Steven cooking in the kitchen.

Not much of the menu has changed since the Gautiers took over. The menu consists of a variety of Tex-Mex meals. Favorites include the fajitas ($11.95), enchiladas ($8.95) and carne asada ($13.95), the Gautiers said.

New to the menu is the brisket taco ($10.95), and the strawberry burritos ($5.95) made a comeback from the older menu.

Also popular are the margaritas. Steven and Kimberly said customers enjoy the Beerita—a frozen margarita with a bottle of beer tipped into it.

Although the Gautiers have not had much down time in the past year, they said their hard work is paying off. One thing that has helped is having the support from the previous owner and his family.

“We just see more and more people coming into Manny’s and a lot of repeat customers,” Kimberly said. “We’ve also grown on social media. I can’t believe the growth we’ve had from last year to now—it’s incredible.”

The Gautiers said they want to keep a home-like atmosphere in Manny’s just like the previous owners.

“It’s important for people to feel like they’re at home and that their experience is a good one,” Kimberly said.