Esplendido began as owners teamed up in business and in life

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Carl Schepmann remembers all the hardships and successes of building Esplendido Mexican Cuisine with his wife, Gina — from Poncho’s in New Baltimore and Jimmy’s Pizza in Shelby Township to what Esplendido is today.

Esplendido, located at 50285 Mound Road in Shelby Township, came from the minds of two business owners with two very similar dreams.

In 1983, Gina, Carl’s now-wife, opened Poncho’s on 23 Mile Road in New Baltimore before they had met. The restaurant was very successful.

Carl’s sister was dating a family friend of Gina’s family who eventually introduced Gina to Carl. The two met each other and immediately hit it off. They have now been together for over 30 years.

Carl had previously opened the second of five Jimmy’s Pizzas in 1983 in the Brookside Shopping Center near 23 Mile and Mound roads in Shelby Township. Carl even eventually worked with Gina and her family at Poncho’s. He thought adding Poncho’s menu to Jimmy’s Pizzeria would really be a hit too.

“As time passed, in 1999 Gina and I decided to team up together and created Esplendido as it is today, later adding the spirits part. Instantly, the community loved it,’ he said.

In 2013, the Poncho’s location was broken into by some kids in the middle of the night.

“When they attempted to take a broken fax machine and empty registers, one of them was injured and bled all over, so to cover up their break-in, they burned the entire restaurant to the ground, leaving nothing behind. Police were able to catch the suspects through nearby cameras, fortunately, but it was a total loss,” he said.

He said they were not able to rebuild the restaurant, but they still had Esplendido.

Carl said they are known for their tacos and their pizza.

“We’re certainly proud of ourselves; we’ve taken a small carryout unit and turned it into a full service dining (establishment), and that’s quite an accomplishment for a couple of high school graduates that just work hard,” he said.

They can only hope that the New Baltimore community makes a trip out to Shelby to enjoy the food they once enjoyed and that the Shelby community comes to visit and check out their food.

They have now been in Shelby for 26 years. They cater and deliver food in addition to serving food at the restaurant.

They will be holding a Cinco de Mayo celebration May 5 called “get your red on.” They will be open 11 a.m. until close with live entertainment starting at 4 p.m., Red Corona and Corona Light bottles and a 50-50 charity raffle supporting Leader Dogs for the Blind.

George Steele, a manager at Esplendido who has been working there about 17 years, said Esplendido isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a second home for a lot of people.

”The atmosphere, the people and the effort they put into everything make it special. One of my favorite memories is seeing families come in over the years; kids who used to come in with their parents are now bringing their own children. It says a lot about the kind of place it is. Carl and Gina have truly built something lasting, and I’m proud to be a part of it,” he said.

For more information, call (586) 739-1070 or visit esplendidomc.com.