TITLE: Honoring Juluis and Wanda Brooks for their service to Midland through their Brooks Bar-B-Que restaurants.

SUMMARY: Honoring Juluis and Wanda Brooks for their service to Midland through their Brooks Bar-B-Que restaurants.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, In March 2017, Juluis and Wanda Brooks closed the doors of their popular Midland restaurant, Brooks Bar-B-Que, for the final time, after nearly four decades of service; and WHEREAS, Married in 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks moved to Midland in 1966, and in 1979, Mr. Brooks used $5,000 in savings and his experience in retail to open Brooks Bar-B-Que on Texas Avenue; Mrs. Brooks quit her job with the Midland Independent School District to join him in the enterprise; and WHEREAS, As the restaurant began to thrive, the couple opened two more locations, one on Andrews Highway in the mid-1980s and another at Mission Square Plaza in the mid-1990s; when the original and only still-operating location burned down in 2009, Mr. Brooks rebuilt and reopened in 2010; and WHEREAS, Despite the business's name, its signature menu item was not barbecue but rather Mr. Brooks's famous Fatburger, with a patty too wide for the bun; moreover, Mrs. Brooks's homemade coconut, lemon meringue, chocolate, and pecan pies attained legendary status among numerous Midland residents; and WHEREAS, Mr. Brooks also served his community as a Midland City Council member for nearly 10 years; during that time, he was the city's first African American mayor pro tem, and he played a vital role in the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and in the local programs organized in observance of the MLK Day holiday; and WHEREAS, Throughout its history, the business was a family affair; the couple's children and grandchildren worked for Brooks Bar-B-Que, with son Rowland managing one of the locations and daughter Natasha spending much of her early life working at the restaurants as well before becoming the senior city attorney for Odessa; and WHEREAS, Independent, family-owned businesses that reflect the spirit of their locales add richness and flavor to Texas communities, and Juluis and Wanda Brooks may take great pride in their successful 38-year tenure as restaurateurs as they embark on the next exciting chapter of their lives; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby honor Juluis and Wanda Brooks for their long service to the Midland area through their Brooks Bar-B-Que restaurants and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Brooks as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Craddick Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1378 was adopted by the House on April 27, 2017, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House