H.R. No. 1378
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, In March 2017, Juluis and Wanda Brooks closed the
doors of their popular Midland restaurant, Brooks Bar-B-Que, for
the final time, after nearly four decades of service; and
WHEREAS, Married in 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks moved to
Midland in 1966, and in 1979, Mr. Brooks used $5,000 in savings and
his experience in retail to open Brooks Bar-B-Que on Texas Avenue;
Mrs. Brooks quit her job with the Midland Independent School
District to join him in the enterprise; and
WHEREAS, As the restaurant began to thrive, the couple opened
two more locations, one on Andrews Highway in the mid-1980s and
another at Mission Square Plaza in the mid-1990s; when the original
and only still-operating location burned down in 2009, Mr. Brooks
rebuilt and reopened in 2010; and
WHEREAS, Despite the business's name, its signature menu item
was not barbecue but rather Mr. Brooks's famous Fatburger, with a
patty too wide for the bun; moreover, Mrs. Brooks's homemade
coconut, lemon meringue, chocolate, and pecan pies attained
legendary status among numerous Midland residents; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brooks also served his community as a Midland
City Council member for nearly 10 years; during that time, he was
the city's first African American mayor pro tem, and he played a
vital role in the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr.
Community Center and in the local programs organized in observance
of the MLK Day holiday; and
WHEREAS, Throughout its history, the business was a family
affair; the couple's children and grandchildren worked for Brooks
Bar-B-Que, with son Rowland managing one of the locations and
daughter Natasha spending much of her early life working at the
restaurants as well before becoming the senior city attorney for
Odessa; and
WHEREAS, Independent, family-owned businesses that reflect
the spirit of their locales add richness and flavor to Texas
communities, and Juluis and Wanda Brooks may take great pride in
their successful 38-year tenure as restaurateurs as they embark on
the next exciting chapter of their lives; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Juluis and Wanda Brooks for their long
service to the Midland area through their Brooks Bar-B-Que
restaurants and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Brooks as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives.
Craddick
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1378 was adopted by the House on April
27, 2017, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House