Thelma’s Filipino Restaurant

Larry & Thelma Torres opened the restaurant back in 1991. They were elementary school sweethearts back in Pangasinan (west-central Philippines). Larry came to Hawaii with his family and attended Waipahu High School, then went back (to the Philippines) to marry Thelma and brought her back here.

Larry loves to cook and was a waiter at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for about 21 years, and Thelma was a waitress and fry cook at another Filipino restaurant for about 20 years, so when she got the idea to open their own restaurant, it just made sense.

The first two years were difficult, with the entire family pitching in, but now they have about 25 full- and part-time employees.

In March 2010, Larry & Thelma decided to expand in Las Vegas and opened their second location in Henderson.