All in the family
Most of the staff at the popular Tello’s restaurant in Port Washington are members of a family whose roots are in Mexico but whose heart is in working hard, supporting the community and serving food ‘made by the heart’



Tello family includes (front row, from left) Angel Tello III,
Rosalva Tello, Ariana Camilo, Angel Tello holding his son Jose,
(second row) Aurora Melesio, Maria Camilo, Adrian Tello,
(back row) Samul Melesio and Jose Camilo.
Photo by Sam Arendt

By CAROL POMEDAY
Ozaukee Press Staff
Posted 7-2-09

Restaurant owners often say their employees are like family. In Angel Tello’s case, they really are.

Most of his employees at Tellos Grille & Cafe, 200 W. Grand Ave., Port Washington, are relatives.

They include his wife Rosalva, 16-year-old stepson Adrian, sisters and brothers-in-laws Maria and Jos? Camilo and Aurora and Samul Melesio, Jos?’s brother Santiago and Samul’s nephew Raul.

They all rent apartments above the restaurant. In addition, breakfast cook Rafel Luna lives in the historic building that Tello hopes to purchase some day.

Bartender Mauricio Aguillera lives in Milwaukee, Tello said.

All are originally from Mexico.

They put in long hours to make Tello’s dream of owning his own restaurant come true, and seem to thrive on it. The kitchen is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and the bar until at least midnight.

Tello is at the restaurant from 2 p.m. to midnight. Rosalva opens at 5:30 a.m. and is there until 3:30 p.m.

Tello’s son Angel III, 9, who will be in fifth grade at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, told his father last week he wants to work in the restaurant. He occasionally clears tables, but his real goal is to be a professional baseball player.

Tello tries to make his son’s games and hopes he achieves that dream.

Tello and his wife also have a 3-year-old son, Jos?, who attends Port Catholic School’s St. Mary’s Campus.

When Tello, who is the chef, opened the restaurant 2-1/2 years ago, only Maria and Jos?, a cook, were needed, but business has steadily increased, causing him to bring in more relatives and other employees.

“I treat them as friends and family, but at the same time I’m the boss,” Tello said. “I never let them swear in the kitchen. They should have respect for each other. We have rules and discipline is important, especially around food.”

He said they argue occasionally, but “I try to make it fun, not stressful.”

Tello grew up in the restaurant business, but his wife was a secretary. It’s harder for her to adjust to the long hours.

Tello owned a taco shop in Guanajuato before moving to Chicago in 1992. His mother and a sister still live in Mexico, but other family members are in the Chicago area.

His first job in the United States was as a cook for a Greek restaurant, which is why Greek food is featured with Mexican fare on his menu.

Tello opened three restaurants for another restaurateur, so he knew what he was getting into.

Tello said he had been looking to buy restaurant in the Chicago area for several years, but couldn’t find anything.

One day, he started driving north into Wisconsin and ended up in Port Washington.

“I believe in God. I asked him (to find a restaurant) and he drove me here,” Tello said. “I always tell people God drove me here.”

He stopped at ReMax United realty firm, where Tom Didier suggested several places before taking him to see the former Horsefeather’s restaurant.

“The minute we walked inside, I knew it was the right place,” Tello said.

Rosalva, who moved from Guadalajara to Chicago in 1996, is not as comfortable with the English language as her husband and relies on him or their son Angel to interpret for her.

Angel is not as fluent in Spanish.

“I know only about half the words in Spanish and can’t read and write it,” he said, but his older brother is fluent in both languages.

Tello is a strong supporter of his adopted community, rarely turning down anyone who requests food or donations for a good cause, whether it’s to feed volunteers who built Possibility Playground or to sponsor a baseball team.

“Sometimes people ask what kind of car I would buy if I had all the money in the world, and I tell them I would build a huge house for kids who don’t have a home,” Tello said. “I don’t care about fancy cars.”

When he was a young man, his answer would have been different, he said.

“I used to be selfish and want power. I think that’s natural with that age,” he said. “But then I had an accident and learned all that stuff did not matter.”

He had an accident with a forklift while laying sod and almost lost his leg, which was broken in several places.

“Being in the hospital, I met the best people who needed help,” Tello said. “Sometimes, we have everything — a car, a job, a family — and we still complain.”

When he didn’t lose his leg, Tello made a decision to share what he has.

Tello said he wanted to return to Mexico until Angel was born.

“When Angel was born, I grew up with him,” he said. “Life is completely different here. There are better opportunities for them. That’s why I keep telling them they have to take the opportunity for an education. It’s easier to get a good education here than in many countries, including Mexico.”

Despite the faltering economy — or maybe because of it — his restaurant, which features moderate prices, has gotten busier, causing him to add employees. Tello will soon add senior citizen items with reduced prices to the menu.

He prides himself on using fresh, high-quality ingredients, including a handmade cheese from Random Lake.

“Being the owner and working with food for so many years, the best payoff is when the customer wants to see the cook and I come out,” Tello said.

“One customer said, ‘This food is not made by the hand. This food is made by the heart.’ That makes you feel really good.”