Deb also came from a background in the restaurant industry. When she was a girl, her family opened a classic drive-in style restaurant in Northern Minnesota, serving a full from-scratch menu which included handmade pies and burgers all crafted from locally sourced ingredients. Deb eventually moved to Duluth, Minnesota, where she familiarized herself with a more corporate-based restaurant business before moving up to Seattle to fill a general management role at Black Angus.
Their combined passion for working with food eventually led Sam and Deb to Sudden Valley, Washington, where they raised their two sons and started their own Tino’s Restaurant in the tradition of Sam’s Italian roots. Several years later Sam and Deb sold Tino’s so that Sam could pursue a career in real estate, and Deb went off to work as a manager for multiple restaurants at Semiahmoo. However, they both quickly realized they were happiest running their own restaurant, and together with friends and their two sons Cameron and Dominic Tino, they pooled their resources and opened Mambo Italiano in 2001.
Mambo has been a hit from the time its doors opened. The combination of backgrounds from front and back of house made it a smashing success. During its 22 year history Cam and Dom have continued to remain present and involved with the restaurant, spending time both on the floor and in the kitchen with the staff. Cam and Dom have put years of love and care into keeping Mambo the Fairhaven staple that it is.