But 50 years later, that’s exactly what happened at Manuel’s El Burrito Restaurant & Cantina.

Today, the restaurant is owned by Manuel Gallegos Jr., and his son, Alec Gallegos, is the general manager. On Tuesday, with a packed late-lunchtime crowd on hand to witness the event, Clearfield Mayor Mark Shepherd presented Gallegos Jr. and Alec with a photo of the restaurant signed by him and members of the Clearfield City Council congratulating Manuel’s on 50 years of operation.

Gallegos Jr. told the Standard-Examiner the restaurant came about as an attempt to bring something to Clearfield that the community lacked.

“In 1976, my dad, mom and my uncle started the restaurant because there weren’t a lot of Mexican food restaurants in the area,” he said. “They were thinking, ‘What would be the best name? Is it El Taco or El Burrito?’ So they came up with El Burrito.”

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

He said that much of the food was based off family recipes and the whole family would be behind the effort.

“We’ve probably employed every single one of our family members,” he said. “It just grew from a little tiny takeout with five tables. We expanded, moved here in ’84 and built this building in ’96. It’s just been growing and growing.”

As with any long-lasting restaurant, these 50 years haven’t come without challenges. While Gallegos Jr. said labor, food costs, marketing and keeping food consistent have been challenges they’ve had to deal with since day one, Alec noted the restaurant has also faced unique circumstances.

“COVID was a hard time for everybody,” Alec said. “We had a roof cave in a couple of years back and we had to shut down for a couple of months to get that fixed.”

Gallegos Jr. said they’ve proudly persevered through all of these bumps in the road.

“We just don’t know how to give up,” he said. “We just keep going.”

Shepherd told members of the media that in pursuit of bringing new businesses to the area, it’s also important to highlight those that have stuck around for the long-haul.

“Having businesses be here, period, is always a good thing for a city — that’s what you live on is bringing businesses to our city,” he said. “You kind of forget, sometimes, the businesses that are here. … Then you have somebody that’s been here not just for five, 10, 20 years, but 50 years; that’s commitment. That’s probably the oldest business in the entire city that’s been going on for this long.”

Some customers have been visiting Manuel’s since it opened.

Among them is Cliff Cannon.

“When (Manuel Sr.) first opened it behind Homer’s Market, I was 13,” Cannon told the Standard-Examiner. “When I would deliver my newspapers, I’d stop in there to get burritos and he was really nice to me. And he had good food, so I just kept coming back.”

He said he and his family are excited to keep coming back to Manuel’s as it enters its second half-century.

“This is our go-to joint for Mexican food in Utah,” he said. “Just keep up the good work, guys.”

Alec said it’s a little mind-blowing to think of the fact that the restaurant has made it a full half-century.

“It’s just surreal,” he said. “I would always think about it when I was a kid. I was like, ‘Man, in 2026, it’ll be 50 years and I’ll be 30.’ But now that it’s actually here, I’m thinking about all of the things that have changed since 1976 with all of the inventions, the Internet, iPhones, everything that wasn’t here.”

He said adaptation has been one of the keys for the restaurant to make it as long as it has.

“If you don’t adapt, you die, and I think a lot of the businesses around here keep doing the same old, same old and that’s what causes them to fizzle out,” he said. “I’m hoping to keep it fresh and keep it new with new entrees and paying homage to our 50 years and keeping what we’ve got going.”

Alec said he looks forward to making a success of the business through to 2076.

“I’ll be here as long as my body allows me,” he said. “In 50 years, 2076 will be the 100-year anniversary — that’s the goal. That’s what I’m shooting for.”

However, it’s not just about the food or adapting successfully to changes in the restaurant business at Manuel’s. Gallegos Jr. said that the secret to the restaurant’s longevity is building relationships with the customers.

“We are a family-run business and we treat everyone with, ‘Welcome. Thank you so much,'” he said. “We appreciate it with genuine thankfulness. We’re just so happy. We love them. We want to serve them the best food and give them the best service.”