15 Stories: Maria Christie, Christie’s Seafood & Steaks, Houston, TX

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It’s an incredible sight every Small Business Saturday® to see the steady stream of cars as they enter our parking lot along Westheimer Road in Houston. I love the feeling. You can almost predict it: Tired of eating turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving, families will start lining up around 11 a.m. wanting the best fried shrimp around.  

That is where our small business, Christie’s Seafood & Steaks, comes in. 

We are thrilled to see all of our customers whenever they come in, of course, but Small Business Saturday is a special treat because on that day we see the same families year after year. So many people love supporting our small business and have made it a family tradition to stop by for lunch or dinner. 

 

We’ve been on board with Small Business Saturday from the very beginning. This holiday is a huge deal because I think it’s important to remind people to visit small businesses. People need to know that all of the big brands out there were once small businesses. And if you don’t support small businesses, those businesses are never going to be able to grow and achieve their dreams. 

The American Dream That Led to Christie’s 

To me, the story of Christie’s is one that could be easily made into a movie that highlights the proverbial American dream. Our business was founded in 1917 by a Greek immigrant who'd immigrated to the U.S. from Greece a few years prior. He was working in New York City when he heard that Galveston, Texas was a great place to start a business. 

He moved down to Texas and opened a fish stand, selling fried fish sandwiches, and named the business Christie’s, after his newly adopted last name. His fish sandwiches were a huge hit; no one had ever had anything like that and he did very well. 

In 1934 he decided to move to Houston because there was news of a big business boom here. He opened Christie’s as a sit-down restaurant with three dining rooms, which was rare in this city at the time. It was very popular. He served French fried shrimp, which was also something novel. Then he opened another location, and another, and another after that. 

 

By 1955, business was really strong. This is when my dad enters the picture. He had been advised to go work for Christie's. Around lunchtime one Sunday, my dad and his cousin walked into one of the restaurants and were shocked by how busy it was. It was clear that the restaurant needed help, so without even talking to the owner, they started helping out, cleaning tables, serving food. 

When the lunch rush was over, the owner came out of the kitchen, looked at my dad and his cousin and exclaimed – in Greek – “You are a Godsend!” 

They were hired immediately. 

Customers are happy that Christie’s is still around – that it’s been a part of their life. That is what a small business does – it touches people’s hearts and becomes part of their lives.

They worked at the restaurants for several years and, in 1967, the owner offered to sell my dad and his cousin the restaurants under one condition: they would change their last names to Christie. It sounds like a wild concept now if you think about it, but my dad and his cousin didn’t bat an eye. They immediately changed their last names to Christie and took over the restaurants. 

Christie’s Today 

Between 1967 and now, Christie’s has become an institution in Houston. My dad passed away 10 years ago and since then, the family has invested its focus only in the current location. And here we are – located on Westheimer Road – where I run the restaurant as the general manager. I’ve worked here since I was a little girl – you can see photos of me in the cashier’s booth when I was five years old. My mother is technically the owner since my father passed away, and two of my brothers work in the restaurant with me; one handles catering and the other is the kitchen manager. 

 

When my dad opened this location right after the original owner passed away in the late 1960s, this area was considered outside of the main area of Houston. But then, in the late 1970s, a massive shopping mall opened just down the road and that worked out very well for us, bringing in shoppers who were also hungry for excellent food. 

I love this restaurant and love working here. Our customers are a big part of that. We are a family-owned business and the stories I hear every single day warm my heart. Customers will walk in and tell me about how their grandparents loved this place. Some people will celebrate every single wedding anniversary at our restaurant. When they need to get in touch with the past, they will come to Christie’s. This place is a comfort to so many people. Customers are happy that Christie’s is still around – that it’s been a part of their life. That is what a small business does – it touches people’s hearts and becomes part of their lives. 

 

Our staff is also a big part of the story. Most of our staff members have been with us for 20 years – some as long as 35 years. We couldn’t run the restaurant without them. On a typical day, we will have about 15 employees working. We also do a lot of catering business. 

When I first heard about Small Business Saturday, I was thrilled. The holiday supports the community, it supports employees. Visiting a small business allows customers to really talk to people who live in a community and to make a difference locally. 

Want to learn more about how to encourage your customers to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday? Visit the Small Business Saturday Resource Hub for marketing materials and business insights that can help you engage with your customers and find new ones. You can also read stories from 15 small businesses that have seen success on Small Business Saturday and beyond. 

As told to Katie Morell, American Express Business Class freelance contributor 

Photos: Josh Dalsimer

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