By Darlene DeVita
(The following is one in a series of sneak peeks at the upcoming People of Chelsea additions by Photographer Darlene DeVita. The new work will ultimately appear on the fence of the Chelsea Public Library (CPL) this fall in a collaboration between the People of Chelsea project and the CPL.)
Taylor is co-owner of Tambo 22 along with her husband Brian, they met in high school.
I was born and raised in Chelsea. My parents still live here. They’re Chelsea natives living in the house my grandfather built.
I went to school here, Catholic middle school, and high school me and my friends hung out at each other’s houses, on the streets, Mc Donalds down the street-your normal teenage hangouts. I knew Chelsea wasn’t the safest city, but I was always taught that if you don’t feel safe or are not in a good area, just leave. I definitely think it is changing.
I’ve worked in the restaurant business since I was 14. My first job was “Truly Jorg’s” in Chelsea, down by Chelsea High. I realized that I loved it [restaurant business], so I went to school for Hospitality Management [Isenberg School of Management] at UMass Amherst. After graduation, Jose Duarte from Taranta hired me just out of school. Since then I’ve been the general manager there. Meeting him was honestly a blessing. I was looking at working at the “99” and chain places! Now he gave us this opportunity to open this restaurant [Tamboo 22]. It’s a blessing.
We plan on doing a lot in the community when we open. Right now, we’re pretty busy…getting the restaurant to open.
Side Salad and an update: My last COVID dinner was March 14, 2020 at Tambo…moving forward, here’s all that Tambo has accomplished since.
We have hired people from Chelsea to work on our team through ROCA and other channels and work with Silvia [Lopez Chavez-mural artist] to beautify the city. We are excited to have the mural to bring people together in a safe space where they can enjoy great food, drinks, and artwork. Since opening, we organized a toy drive to help La Colaborativa and the children of Chelsea. We also volunteered our time and donated thousands of meals to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, which were given to local families in need during peak COVID times. We cannot wait to take part in Chelsea Day 2021 and many more community events to come!