Local bistro puts love and passion into its food, warming the neighborhood one meal at a time

For most of his adult life, Gilly (Guillermo) Gonzales worked for other people in the manufacturing industry. When he wasn’t working, he indulged in his passion for cooking.

But just over a year ago, he took a leap of faith and opened Gilly’s Bistro at 1023 N. Johnson St. Today, he’s passionate about working with his family as he serves food from an open kitchen in a small building in the Johnson Street Business District.

Gonzales, who works alongside his wife, Diane, and their two young sons, says he discovered the former Third & Johnson Market and Eatery online.

Mexican food, grilled cheese, and more are the specialties of the house at Gillys Bistro. (Photo courtesy of Gilly's Bistro)“I was looking around on the internet for commercial buildings,” Gonzales says, “This one came up and I came in.”

The owner, Paul Hennard, wanted to sell the business and retire.

“I fell in love with it as soon as I walked in,” Gonzales says.

Love wasn’t blind, though. Gonzales knew he had hard work and uncertainty ahead of him.

“I didn’t know how bills were going to get paid, or even if they were going to get paid,” he says. “I didn’t really walk in blind, I was trying to think of all scenarios, but I had to take a leap of faith and jump in.”

Today, he says that leap of faith is starting to pay dividends.

At Gilly's, you can pick up a full meal, shop specialty grocery items, or grab a bag of fresh tamales to enjoy later. (Photo courtesy of Gilly's Bistro)Gilly’s Bistro celebrated its one-year anniversary in September.

“I feel very blessed and like it’s been successful enough for us to thrive. I thank the community for the support that they’ve given us.”

He says he thinks the community appreciates that Gilly’s is a true family business.

“I feel like a lot of times it’s like a breath of fresh air to see a husband and wife working and my two boys (Ivan, 11, and Giovanni, 9) are here a lot. It’s truly a family business.”

Before deciding to buy the market and eatery, Gonzales says he had some experience dealing with salesmen, ordering and maintaining inventory, and keeping the books. He worked in his dad’s party store on Saginaw’s West Side from the time he was in middle school.

Owner Gilly Gonzales says it's love that makes his food stand out. The homemade salsa helps too. (Photo courtesy of Gilly's Bistro)However, nothing could have prepared him for the faith he needed to walk out of a full-time job into the world of self-employment.

“I had a couple of sleepless nights wondering if I made the right decision. I had to put some faith in the path that I wanted to travel and what I wanted to do in life.”

Since he bought the business, Gonzales says he has continually innovated in order to build on the foundation Hennard had built.

“He had some great take-and-bakes, which we still have today, and had some homemade cookies, the whole salads and soups, and grilled cheeses.”

Gonzales left some of the staples on the menu but upped the ante too. He added a Four-Cheese Grilled Cheese that has become a neighborhood favorite. He created a Mexican Gyro made by smearing pita bread with lime mayonnaise and topping it with slow-cooked brisket, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. He serves the gyro with a side of homemade salsa.

Over the year, he’s expanded his hours. Now, Gilly’s is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the love and passion that goes into the food.

“Me and my employees, my head chef – we all put love in our food. What makes us stand out from other restaurants is the passion and love we put into our dishes. We care a lot about the food that we’re serving and we also provide excellent customer service. People are greeted with a smile. I have customers that are turning into family now. That’s the beautiful thing about it.”