Chela Retta: From Hostess to Director of Operations
When Chela Retta first walked through the doors of Water Street Seafood Company in the 1990s, she was simply looking for a part-time job to get out of the house. What she found instead was the beginning of a lifelong passion for hospitality and a career that would continue to grow in ways she never imagined.
"I had never been in the restaurant business before," Chela recalls. "But you meet new people every day, and it just excited me. I fell in love with hospitality."
Chela started as a hostess, working lunch shifts and quickly adjusting to the restaurant environment. After about a year, she jumped at the opportunity to become a server, where her enthusiasm for meeting new people and providing excellent service shined. From there, her path steadily climbed. She moved into banquets, became a head waiter, and eventually stepped into her first management role as a floor manager. With every step forward, Chela embraced new challenges, whether it was managing products as a bar manager or overseeing larger teams as a customer service manager.
Her journey continued as she took on the role of general manager, helping to guide operations through major events like Hurricane Harvey, all while maintaining a commitment to making guests feel welcome and valued. Over time, Chela found her passion expanding into the event side of the business, leading her to a successful tenure as a banquet and catering director before returning to restaurant operations at Water Street Oyster Bar. Throughout it all, Chela’s love for hospitality has remained at the heart of her work.
“I love meeting people — watching families grow, celebrating milestones — and every day brings something different,” she shares. “There’s a solution to every problem, and I love being part of making experiences great.”
For Chela, tourism isn't just about attracting visitors; it's about building a stronger, more vibrant community. Over the years, she’s seen how the industry uplifts not only the businesses it supports but also the people behind them from the servers and chefs to the local artists, musicians, and shop owners who make the city feel alive. She sees firsthand how welcoming guests to Corpus Christi fuels growth, supports local businesses, and creates lasting memories that inspire people to return and to tell others about their experience.
“Tourism helps shape the quality of life here. It brings opportunities, motivates investment, and creates pride in our community,” she says. “When we do it well, everyone benefits — both the visitors and the people who call this place home.”
Whether it’s locals bringing their families to celebrate a special occasion or first-time visitors discovering the charm of downtown Corpus Christi, Chela’s dedication to hospitality helps make every experience memorable. She understands that every warm welcome, every well-prepared dish, and every conversation is a chance to leave a lasting impression. Her story is a reminder that a career in tourism and hospitality isn't just about starting somewhere, it’s about finding a path, growing into it, and making a lasting impact along the way.
