Page 25 - Indulge September 2017
P. 25
Photo by Sarah Evans Q&ACHATS WITH LEHIGH VALLEY MOVERS AND SHAKERS Girl Talk
therese m . dia z - al b ertiniMeet Therese M. Diaz-Albertini, co-owner Cuban roots. They have two children, Kelly, who is an
of the Casa Toro Mexican Grill restaurants attorney in Philadelphia and an Army JAG officer; and Dean,
and Mojito Cuba Caribe Bistro & Bar. who is Casa Toro’s chef and helps run their restaurants which
By Linda Doell also include a second Casa Toro in Doylestown and Mojito
Cuba Caribe Bistro & Bar in New Hope.
Alove of entertaining prompted this issue’s Valley
Girl to launch a second career as a restaurateur. Therese proudly points to Casa Toro winning Readers’
And not only did she become a success with one Choice awards for multiple years as best Mexican restaurant
restaurant, but now operates three in the region. Therese as well as winning for best margaritas. The family believes in
Diaz-Albertini grew up a Jersey Girl and moved to giving back to the community, too, and Casa Toro supports or
Buckingham in Bucks County almost 30 years ago. But contributes to charities throughout the Valley.
once she saw the Lehigh Valley, she fell in love.
She took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few
“It’s beautiful and serene,” she says. “But what really hit questions from Indulge.
me about the area was the diversity of the residents. There’s
so much creativity, culture and compassion here.” Q: What advice could you give someone who is
Therese and her husband, Gary, took over Casa Toro considering a similar career path?
Mexican Grill in Coopersburg in 2013 and have introduced
the Valley to an innovative fusion of traditional Mexican, A: If you don’t give it your all, don’t do it. Love what
Cuban and Caribbean flavors that pays homage to Gary’s
you do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Love
what you do; love who you do it with. Rid your establishment
of anyone who doesn’t possess the same passion as you do. I
like helping people achieve their dreams. Developing a team
of people who work hard and dream big and are loyal is the
magic recipe for success.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: Hanging out with our customers who have become
our friends. This is the icing on the cake — it’s not all
dollars and cents, it’s getting to know each other. Share your
passions, dreams and struggles. We love our extended family
members. We have seen many pass on, new babies who
have been blessings to young couples, kids getting married,
graduations, all sorts of personal achievements and we are all
a part of their celebrations. They also are our sounding board
to issues that need to be addressed and changed. We love
our customers.
Q: If you could tell women anything about being in the
restaurant business, what would you say?
A: If you like to entertain, this is the business for you.
Gary and I for years have always loved having dinner parties
at our home. (We loved it) — from planning the menu, to
decorating our home, to planning party themes, to making
sure our guests left with a smile on their face, a full belly and
good memories.
Q: What do you like to do to relax?
A: Gary and I go to the island about every six weeks or
so — it’s our home away from home. Aside from that it’s time
with the kids. Although they are grown, we have family night,
one night out of the month. Each person gets to pick what we
do. We’ve gone to concerts in Philly, plays, whitewater rafting
and gourmet dinners at new places in NYC.
September 2017 • indulge | 25
