Tina's Place, one family pitches in with restaurant

DOVER — Sometimes a golden opportunity arrives when you least expect it. For Tina Martin, it was while she was getting her hair cut.

Six weeks ago, Martin opened her own restaurant on Route 22, called Tina’s Place. The eatery, which serves breakfast, lunch and prime rib dinner on Friday nights, has been doing fine during its first few weeks in business. But Martin’s story starts long before that.

The year 2008 was a tough year for the family. Tina lost her job managing a local deli when the business was sold two weeks before Christmas. Her husband, Chris, a carpenter, had been out of work for months before that.

Tina is no stranger to odd jobs. She’s managed a day care, worked as a bartender, worked at a deli and waitressed at restaurants. Also, in the food business,  she’s cooked, managed ordering and held accounting positions.

“I was upset [when I lost my job], but wasn’t really,� she explained. “I knew something was going to happen.�

After searching and searching for jobs, Martin got the tip she’d been waiting for in a hairdresser’s chair, of all places. The stylist mentioned that a local restaurant,  Artie’s Place, had just closed.

“I asked her to stop cutting my hair, right in the middle of the cut,� Martin remembers, laughing. She went right to the landlord of the building, whom she knew, and the rest was history.

“[The landlord] was extremely nice to me,� she said. “I couldn’t have done it without his offer [of an affordable rent].�

Since February, when the deal was finalized, Tina and Chris, along with help from Tina’s sister and her husband, have been working overtime to renovate the restaurant and turn it into something special.

“Owning my own business... well, it hasn’t really sunk in that it’s mine,� Martin admits. “My daughter, son, husband, sister... it’s funny to know that those people are working for me. It’s pretty wild actually. But it’s a good feeling. My name is up in lights, finally.�

Martin says Tina’s Place has been very successful in the six weeks that it’s been open.

“It’s a lot of work and I’m exhausted, but it’s definitely worth it. Even with the economy, I’ve been pretty lucky.�

Tina’s Place is open 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, and Friday until 8 p.m., when they will be serving prime rib dinners every week. Weekend hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant can be reached at 845-877-0598.

“I’d like to thank my mom and dad. Also, [my brother-in-law] Angelo DiLaura and his wife, and my sister, Susan, my nieces and nephews, and most of all my husband, my daughter, Bianca, and son, Christopher,� she said, running through the names, explaining, “it’s all family operated.�

That sounds right along the lines of the restaurant’s motto: Tina’s Place, just like home.