“When I was a tennis player, I did not have a backhand so I would run around to hit the ball, and I was so fast that they nicknamed me roadrunner,” explained Tommy. I asked Tommy, who has the nickname Tommy Roadrunner, to tell me how he met Chuck. Tommy’s other hero is Chuck Jones, the late animator (Bugs Bunny, Road Runner) who lived for many years in Corona del Mar and often dined at Five Crowns. I was in Gelson’s several months ago-I always wear compression shirts, and some guy came up to me and asked if I was Jack Lalanne. I do lots of stretching, sit ups, the whole nine yards. I also do the plank for 4 to 5 minutes at a time, but after a while it gets boring so I start doing pushups. I did 100 reps once, but now maybe 50 or 60 reps a day. To keep in shape, Tommy runs marathons (he participates in the Corona del Mar 5K every year) and works out with weights. I want people to be like I am, having a good time and enjoying life.” I feel at peace,” added Tommy, who is 76 but seems much younger. “I feel as good or better than I did 50 years ago. I’m here even when I’m not supposed to be here.” The restaurant has been good to me and I have been good to the restaurant. “I love the company, love the people that come in here It’s just a win-win situation. “I love it here, I am so blessed,” Tommy told me when we chatted several weeks ago. Tommy Martin with a Roadrunner cartoon drawn by Chuck Jones He lights up the dining room with his boyish enthusiasm as he pours wine, delivers dishes, or just checks to make sure your experience is as good as it can be. If you dine at Five Crowns on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening, you can’t miss Tommy, or his smile. As a tribute to his longevity and loyalty, Five Crowns has renamed the main dining room the Tommy Martin Room.
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