PAGE 16 • May 2020
•
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011
TABLE HOPPING
Business of Interest by NANCY ROBERTS
Boom Boom Mex Mex Once upon a time, in the early 2000s, a couple, Tom and Lupe Bryan, opened a Mexican restaurant in Camillus, New York. Before long, they had an enthusiastic and loyal following - Central New Yorkers are nothing if not loyal fans. They served carefully crafted, authentic Mexican foods - burritos, tacos, quesadillas, taco salads, homemade salsas, and heaping Nachos. Many people enjoyed coming to the colorful restaurant, but just as many enjoyed picking up an order to go sometimes more than once or twice a week! And then the owners and creators of the restaurant, known by its cheer of a name - Boom Boom Mex Mex - who had traditionally been open from spring to fall and Owners Sean Lavin and his father then traveled to Mexico for the Bob Lavin winter - decided to retire. Their fans were dismayed. But fortunately for Central New York, this story continues - happily. When the Bryans retired, the business was taken up by a restaurant owner from Utica, who remained open under the same name for 2 years. Deciding to concentrate on just one location, he decided to close Boom Boom Mex Mex once again forcing Tom to put the building up for sale. Sean and Bob Lavin, looking for
investment properties, knew the spot - for one very good reason. They were huge fans of the food! But they also r ealized that if the business were to reopen as Boom Boom Mex Mex, it simply had to be Boom Booms. So a family council was called, and everyone agreed to pitch in. Today, Sean Lavin is in charge of day to day operations for the restaurant (while continuing to conduct business as an investment analyst). His father Bob, after finishing his day at National Grid, comes out to put in a shift. Bob’s wife, Marybeth, a pharmacist during the day, along with their other son Chris, also with National Grid, pitches in as well. Even Bob’s mother Rose Anne helps with the cleaning of the restaurant. It’s labor, certainly, but a labor of love. And while the family is meticulous about maintaining the recipes that made Boom Boom Mex Mex such a popular stop, Sean - an analyst, after
