The Food Network taught Leticia Whitten how to cook and even some English.

“She watched a lot of Martha Stewart. Well, until (Stewart) got in trouble,” joked Leticia’s husband, Mark Whitten. As a Mexican immigrant, Leticia built her skills in the kitchen while raising three daughters, eventually perfecting her recipes for tamales. She began selling up to 50 dozen at a time to patients visiting her husband’s massage therapy practice, Riverside Therapeutic Massage.

The couple dreamed of opening a restaurant one day, and when the former Seoul Sushi closed in the spring, the Whittens jumped at the opportunity to lease the space at 701B The Parkway. “When we saw this space, the light bulb went on,” Mark said. “We hadn’t even been thinking about (opening a restaurant) for a while, but it just went, ‘Boom,’ and everything started falling in place.”

Miss Tamale opens Sept. 15 next door to Stone Soup, and soon-to-be Foodies too, which will occupy the space once held by Paper Street Brewing Co. before the end of the year.

“We’re doing it totally on faith,” Mark said. “We have faith in our food, we believe in the small clientele that we already have and word of mouth.”

Leticia’s niche is tamales, but she hopes to build on the menu and eventually offer tacos, burritos and tortas. Miss Tamale also will feature dessert tamale options that change with the seasons. She expects to debut Mark’s favorite, a piña colada tamale, and even introduce a pumpkin spice variety this the fall.

A whimsical logo of Miss Tamale adorns the restaurant’s glass windows, designed by the couple’s 12-year-old daughter, Samantha, and inspired by Betty Boop and Marilyn Monroe. It features a tamale in a dress and tiara, with other mascots representing menu items, also created by Samantha Whitten.

Now with a toddler son in tow, it’s been a family effort to launch Miss Tamale. The restaurant’s menu was designed with families in mind. It will include flavors like beef and cheese, chicken, pork, bean and cheese, and a vegan option made with vegetables.

“I believe in my food,” Leticia said. “I know it’s good and the food will speak for itself.” The tamales are all gluten free and cooked without lard.

The Whittens have been working since June 1 on a total remodel of the 1,800-square-foot space, across from Greenies.

“The only thing we kept was the grease trap,” Mark said.

From top to bottom, the floors and ceiling are new, as well as the kitchen and granite service countertop. The restaurant will seat 55 people, with orders placed and filled at the counter. A limited delivery will be available to start, with orders placed ahead of time for frozen tamales to be delivered and re-steamed by the customer.

A single tamale starts at $3 and the price drops to half that if a customer orders them by the dozen.

Up to 16 employees are expected to be hired to operate the restaurant, including four to six full-time employees and six to 10 part-time employees, with Leticia overseeing the kitchen.

The couple sees this restaurant as an anchor location for future growth. They signed a five-year lease for the space and hope to occupy it for at least 20 years.

“We’re in this for the long haul,” Mark said. He previously rented from the same landlord who owns the building housing Miss Tamale, while his practice, Riverside Therapeutic Massage, operated on the corner of Lee Boulevard and Jadwin Avenue. It moved to Williams Boulevard a few years ago.

Mark said the new location was positive for that business, but he hoped to get back to The Parkway, “We knew where we wanted to be. We love the Richland feel, and the community feel and have watched things grow here. The Parkway has grown in the last 15 years and a lot has had to do with the farmers’ market and the city involvement. Lighting the trees at Christmastime and just getting the community down here has been huge for this spot.”

The $80,000 remodel has been led by general contractor Arnie’s Construction. Pancho’s Heating and Air handled the ventilation, Candy Mountain Electric performed electrical work and Pacific Northwest Construction was contracted for the plumbing.

Miss Tamale will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The grand opening celebration on the first day will include free samples of all menu items and free fountain drinks.

Information: misstamale.co; 509-578-1601.