20 Years, 7 Restaurants, 1 Familia

What does it take to successfully run a restaurant for two decades and counting in a restaurant scene as fluctuating as Santa Barbara’s? For Maria Arroyo, business partner to Tony Arroyo and co-owner of Los Arroyos, the secret to longevity in the restaurant industry is happy employees, happy customers, and consistently phenomenal food. Los Arroyos celebrates 20 years of business this year. Its story began when a boy with a dream, Tony Arroyo, immigrated from Mexico to Santa Barbara in 1983, and it continues to unfold to date.

Upon entering the newest Los Arroyos location in Solvang, I am welcomed by Diego, Maria and Tony’s 15-year-old son. Meanwhile, Maria floats around the bustling restaurant, greeting guests and ensuring that every single person is taken care of. The familial nature of Los Arroyos is instantly palpable.

I’m invited in by the bright splashes of color that fill the space. By implementing decorations brought straight from Mexico, like beautiful wood and iron pieces for lighting, and a vibrant landscape mural by local artist Pedro de la Cruz, Los Arroyos creates a colorful symphony that provides a lively and fun ambiance. It unites the modern and trendy with the rustic and authentic, and this dichotomy is reflected in the food they serve.

Arroyo Molcajete

Diego, an evident entrepreneur-in-training, presents me with a bowl of toasty chips and an assortment of fresh salsas. “The salsa quemada is my favorite,” he says as he slides me a bowl of bright green puree. Each salsa is bursting with flavor. You can taste the authenticity, the quality of ingredients, and the love. Cheesy? Maybe. True? You bet.

Maria joins me as I sip on horchata and proceed to devour the steaming enchiladas in front of me. She sighs with exhaustion as it is the end of a busy weekend, yet she manages to deliver me a warm, inviting smile that communicates just how happy this fast-paced industry makes her.

“Our goal was to be as authentic as we could be with the best, cleanest, tastiest homemade food and a family environment,” says Maria. “Our recipes come straight from Tony Arroyo’s mom. Beans, rice, everything.”

Los Arroyos opened its first location in Downtown Santa Barbara in 1999. According to Maria, the restaurant scene in Santa Barbara looked a little different back then. “In 1999 the scene was quite simple,” she

explains. “It was not full of the hip, fun, sassy, and trendy atmospheres that we have now. It was definitely mostly the mom and pops of Santa Barbara.” The restaurant’s inception came as a response to the lack of middle-tier Mexican restaurants in the area. “There were higher-end Mexican restaurants and then plenty of inexpensive Mexican restaurants. Los Arroyos is something right in the middle with the price range and the atmosphere.”

Some people in the restaurant industry cater towards millennials or other demographics, but ours is families. It’s knowing their names, knowing their kids’ names, watching them start families of their own.”

Over the last 20 years of business, Los Arroyos has continued to grow and expand, with five locations in Santa Barbara County, and now one in Carmel, Indiana. Despite economic recession, natural disasters, and local competition, the restaurant has encountered sustained success. “I’m going to get emotional about it,” says Maria as she wipes away the tears rolling down her cheeks. “We couldn’t have done it without our loyal, loyal regulars, and our staff. That’s pretty much it. We just keep going, and it only sustains itself because of our staff and our customers. I’m just really grateful.” That sort of passion for one’s craft is irreplaceable.

Los Arroyos is the perfect embodiment of a familyowned local favorite. It has lifelong employees and even second generations of families working there. Their first employee, Guillerma Demazo, still works for Los Arroyos to date. “We treat our employees like they are our extended family” says Maria. “We take care of each other. We’re a team. And we have a good time, we really do.”

This employee satisfaction translates seamlessly over to customer satisfaction, which is the final component to 20 years of success for Los Arroyos. Its deep resonation with the Santa Barbara community can be attributed, according to Maria, to its repeat and longtime customers. “We cater towards the family,” she explains. “Some people in the restaurant industry cater towards millennials or other demographics, but ours is families. It’s knowing their names, knowing their kids’ names, watching them start families of their own.” It is this very commitment to customer service that keeps locals coming back time and time again, and keeps Maria personally happy with her work. “I guess that it’s always been in me to be of service. The whole idea of hosting somebody, making them happy, having their food made the way they like it and enjoy it makes me happy.”

For the future, Maria hopes for business as usual for Los Arroyos. “As a family-run company, we hope to build a few more stores, but not grow too, too much bigger. We’re still keeping it family owned—no franchising—and eventually leaving it to Diego to keep running if he chooses.” Whether it be for taco Tuesday, happy hour, or dinner to-go, Los Arroyos continues to thrive as a Santa Barbara County staple.

Photographed by Silas Fallstich | Written by Meghan Kelly