Affiliation: University of Arizona

Having heard from many interviewees about LaFonda’s, a Tex-Mex restaurant that has been in Lafayette since 1957 and is famous as a gathering place for people in the oil business, Laura stopped by to find someone to speak with about the oil and gas industry and its effects on Lafayette. Ronnie Gillock was the assistant manager at the time and had worked at LaFonda’s since 1965. He was interested in an interview and shared a book on the history of LaFonda’s. The interview was scheduled at the restaurant, and while it was partially recorded, the recorder died during the course of the interview. The restaurant was so loud and crowded that the recorded audio was barely audible, so the interview summary was produced from written notes. Throughout the interview, because he knew many people who came into the restaurant, Ron stopped to say hello to his customers.

Ronnie Gillock is originally from Indiana, and came to Lafayette in 1965 when his father, who was in the Marine Corps, was transferred to Lafayette. His father needed a supplemental income, and when he went to work for LaFonda’s, his two sons (including Ronnie) were offered jobs as bus boys. Ronnie began as a bus boy at LaFonda’s in 1965. In 1966, he was drafted into the Marine Corps, and he served until 1972. He attended ULL (USL) for a short time in pre-med, then nursing, but found he made so much money working at LaFonda’s that he quit school and retuned to the restaurant business. He went back to LaFonda’s, working as a waiter and began serving as the assistant manager around 2000. A LaFonda’s margarita called the “Ronnie Rita” was named after Ron.