Vern and Charline Lontz hoped the sleepy Ocean Beach community would patronize Nati’s, their little one-room Mexican food diner at Bacon and Niagara Streets, when the couple first opened their doors Jan. 10, 1960. Their delicious Mexican recipes quickly captivated Peninsula palates. Now an Ocean Beach icon, Nati’s Mexican Restaurant is poised to celebrate its 50th anniversary this weekend with mariachis, special prices, giveaways and memorabilia. The Lontzes, who retired in 1972 and are now deceased, saw Nati’s grow quickly to become a favorite with locals who return from near and far to savor its familiar and consistent flavors. To mark this half-century milestone, Nati’s will be enlivened by Mariachi Chula Vista, a group of high school student-musicians from the Sweetwater Union High School District. The award-winning ensemble will play on Nati’s patio from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 10 and from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 11. Regular margaritas will be offered at half-price both days and diners may enter a drawing for a number of free dinners. Souvenir margarita and shot glasses, T-shirts and decals will also be available. Nati’s also offers wine, foreign and domestic beers and a full bar. “Our customers are very special to us,” said owner Marilyn Thomas, general manager/vice-president. “Their loyalty and friendship mean a great deal to us and have been a major key to our success.” The Nati’s story might be summarized in one word: consistency. At Nati’s, that means an estimated seven million-plus meals served to date. “We believe that consistently outstanding food is the basis for our popularity,” said Thomas, who began as a hostess at Nati’s in 1969. President and owner Dennis Kerr started at Nati’s in 1962 as a 16-year-old dishwasher while attending Point Loma High School. Thomas and Kerr learned the business under the Lontz’s guidance. “And we also maintain consistency by keeping our employees,” Thomas said. Familiar longtime Nati’s faces include Luisa Allen, who has been serving steaming plates of Mexican cuisine for all of the restaurant’s 50 years. Patrons point excitedly to Allen, pictured in a framed group photo of the first 1960 staff, as she glides past in person with another order. Another patron favorite is Aida Peterson, whose Nati’s service numbers 37 years. “We consider ourselves a family,” said Thomas. Other senior members of the Nati’s restaurant family include former head chef Luis Bedoya, also an original 1960 hire. Bedoya retired in 2008 after 48 years. Current chefs Mace Conde and Inez Lopez have served up meals for 37 and 35 years, respectively. “Many of our employees have been with us for a decade or longer,” Thomas said. “This longevity provides our loyal customers with the consistent quality our customers have come to expect.” In 1962, Vern Lontz completed a $40,000 remodeling project that added a second dining room and provided parking for his expanding customer base.  Those dining rooms and a colorful patio are often filled today with three-generation groups of families and friends. Staff members scurry about, arranging tables to seat the groups that arrive nightly. And the meals continue to garner awards. Readers of The Peninsula Beacon have named Nati’s first place for Best Overall Restaurant and Best Patio Dining the last two years. Second-place awards were received for Best Senior Dining, Best Family Restaurant and Best Mexican Restaurant. “We are very proud of our Readers Choice awards, since they represent the community’s vote,” Thomas said. Customers who first visited Nati’s in the ’60s fondly recall a smiling Vern Lontz, coffee pot in hand, walking from table to table getting to know his guests. Lontz grew orchids as a hobby and offered corsages to ladies as a Mothers’ Day tradition. Diners enjoy looking at a 1960 menu on display in the restaurant lobby showing a combination plate price of $1.20. An online U.S. Government Consumer Price Index calculator shows that price to be $8.79 in 2010 dollars. Since the current menu price for the same combination is $8.95, Nati’s prices have remained consistent. Thomas also is proud of the restaurant’s community involvement. Nati’s is a member of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association and has sponsored teams in the Peninsula Little League since the early ’60s. Nati’s is the longest continuous league sponsor and was recently named Sponsor of the Year. Environmentally, Nati’s has been earth-friendly, recycling glass, paper and kitchen cooking materials long before it was popular. Smoking was prohibited in the dining rooms two years before laws were enacted, although smokers may partake in the patio. “Vern’s business plan was very simple,” summarizes Thomas. “Good food, good service and a fair price.” Fifty years later, that plan has seen Nati’s prosper like few other restaurants.