By Carla Zanoni | DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
Photo Credit: Carla Zanoni | DNAinfo
INWOOD — When Manuel Cruz opened his chimi, or Dominican-style hamburger, truck in 1987, he never expected to still be slinging the neighborhood favorite late into his 70s.
But the 78-year-old said he has no plans to retire any time soon and has now introduced many of his relatives to the business, even putting three generations of “Mannys’— him, his son and grandson— to work his truck called Chimichury El Malecon over the weekend.
“It’s a family business,” said Cruz, whose daughter Monica and son David also man the truck.
“People ask me when I am going to retire and go back to the D.R. I tell them, I retired when I came here.”
Cruz, who moved to New York on New Year’s Eve in 1957, said he came to flee the Trujillo dictatorship that ruled the country, and built a family in the Bronx before moving to Inwood.
Read more: Family Still Slings Dominican ‘Chimis’ in Inwood | DNAinfo
Photo Credit: Carla Zanoni | DNAinfo
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What I find interesting is that all this “Food Truck” craze that has made its way downtown, actually started with our very own selling chimis and frituras. They should start making “chimi-sliders” to take this concept mainstream. Hey! I think I justed coined a term
Chimis have been a staple of Dominican and Dominican York culture for as long as I can remember….they need to make their presence felt in the food truck craze thats going on in midtown, downtown and outer boroughs….I’m just saying
Could be your best article online!