CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Every New Year brings the promise of change. But adapting to it? That’s often the hardest part. For Pam Chavez, the owner of Saucy Mama’s, change isn’t a resolution, it has always been a way of life.
Saucy Mama’s is Chavez’s pizza spot in Corpus Christi. But before she ever tossed pizza dough, in her 20s she was living out of a backpack, traveling the globe with no permanent address and no long-term plan. South America, Thailand, India, Chile, she sold nearly everything she owned to see the world.
Then life took a sharp and unexpected turn. By her 30s, Chavez found herself starting over, financially and personally. With little stability and big questions about her future, she made a decision she never would have predicted.
She joined the U.S. Army.
“I was 30 when I joined,” Chavez said. “I think I was emotionally more ready for it. I knew what I was getting into, and it was a stepping stone for where I wanted to get to.”
As a combat medic, Chavez spent a year in Iraq, trading hiking trails and hostels for body armor and a weapon.
“I went from backpacking to carrying around a weapon and wearing body armor in Iraq,” she said. “It’s such a strange contrast. But an amazing life experience. It made me who I am.”
Her time in the military also gave her opportunities for education through the GI Bill. Chavez earned a culinary degree, a certification in holistic nutrition, and a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
Even after the military, life didn’t slow down. She became a military spouse, navigated a divorce, and embraced single motherhood. But Chavez found ways to blend her experiences and education into a new chapter: food.
“I’ve always loved creating in the kitchen,” she said.
That passion eventually led her to Corpus Christi, where she began running a pizza franchise, Sam and Louie’s Pizzeria. This endeavor started three years ago, but recently Chavez took another leap, and broke away from the franchise to pursue her own concept, Saucy Mama’s. It’s still at the same building at 4117 South Staples Street.
Her menu reflects her education and creativity: high-protein artisan gluten-free crusts, plant-based options, and salads with super seeds and roasted vegetables. Even her sauces are made thoughtfully, without seed oils, blending nutritional awareness with bold flavor.
But what she values most isn’t what’s on the menu.
“It’s the connection,” she said. “With customers. With the community.”
Chavez frequently shares her story online, hoping her journey encourages others facing change, especially when it feels unplanned or overwhelming. “
The hardest things,” she said, “are what we grow from the most.”
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Hofmann at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com.
