“My husband’s mom, Charlie Bell Hardin, cooked with a deep fryer and burner selling hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken wings in her yard in Prichard. Then she had a restaurant called Bae Bae’s Roadside and Grill. His aunt had a restaurant called Mattie’s Home Cooked Meals, so it is in their family genes. He has a passion for cooking. I clean, go to the grocery store, and do everything else. He does the cooking at home, too, and I am thankful for that.

We met in high school and have been together for 32 years. He was in the 12th grade at LeFlore High School and I was in the 11th grade at Vigor High School. He would come over to Vigor like a preppy boy with his briefcase, bow tie, and blazer. Like he had it going on. I loved him the moment I saw him, and we have been together ever since. Marriage is a lot of commitment, patience, and understanding each other through good days and bad days. We have a daughter working on her Ph.D. He taught her how to cook, but she has already said she isn’t going to run the restaurant. It is just me and him and it works that way even if we fuss a little because something didn’t come out right.

Batman is his street name. He loved the cartoon and came home and watched it every afternoon. He put a cape on to fly around the house and they have been calling him Batman ever since. He still thinks he is Batman. 

We started with a food truck and recently got a building by Brookley field on the corner of Stewart and Hurtel Street. The Batman Express Train restaurant will open as soon as the health department inspects us. We will have a full breakfast and home-cooked meals. We have been dreaming of this for years. I am nervous, but I am happy. I like to see people enjoy our food. My passion is customer service and to see other people leave a little better than when they came in.”