My Texas Legacies

One of the reasons I have such pride and admiration for the state of Texas is because of the quality of people that I know to live here. My family has lived in Texas for many generations, and one thing I can say for sure about native Texans is that they are some of the hardest workers you will ever meet.

My fraternal grandmother grew up Basdrop, Texas, and her Irish-Catholic family owned many acres of land and raised cattle for many years. My great-grandfather, Earl Callahan, opened a general store in 1978 next to his Feed & Milling Company so that ranchers wouldn't have to go all the way into town to get supplies. Callahan's General Store, located at 501 Bastrop Highway, is still in business today, and sells much more than just cattle feed. Just about every pair of cowboy boots I've ever owned came from Callahan's, and they sell everything from live baby ducks and chicks (my favorite when I was little) to Christmas decorations and Stetson cowboy hats. Callahan's has been a sponsor of the Austin Rodeo for many years (in fact, my great uncle built the performance stage that they use, and my dad's cousin used to compete as a cowboy) and my grandmom and her siblings still own the business today.

On my mom's side, there's a slightly different legacy- ever heard of Dan's and Fran's Hamburgers? Well I know Dan as "Popo" (my late grandfather and my namesake) and Fran as "Momo" (my crazy grandmother). My grandparents worked in the restaurant business for several years before deciding that they could do it better; and in 1973 they opened the first Dan's Hamburgers on South Congress.

My family worked hard to provide the best quality food for an affordable price, and thanks to their hard work, we have regular customers who have eaten at our restaurants for over 35 years. There are now 4 Dan's Hamburgers and 2 Fran's Hamburgers locations in the greater Austin area, and my aunts, uncles and cousins still run the restaurants with the same meticulous eye for quality control that my grandfather started out with. The stores have become an Austin icon, and I promise you won't find a better jalapeno cheese burger in the whole world. (Promise.)

Growing up with such determined family members has given me so much respect for the entrepreneurs of Texas, and a special affinity for Austin and its local businesses. From sweating away in a restaurant kitchen for double shifts to working on the ranch until the sun came down, I come from some hard working Texans, and I know there are many others out there too.