“Since I was seven, I started helping — sweeping, mopping, cutting chiles, everything. It was a family obligation. By age nine, I was already helping my mom cook.”
Noel García is a young man who knows what he wants and, more importantly, knows how to get it.
“I’m very analytical; I study the situation and prepare things so we can be ready,” says García, who is originally from the state of Jalisco, Mexico.
That’s exactly what happened when the impact of immigration raids implemented by the Trump administration began to be felt earlier this year.
“I diversified. I gathered my team and told them we needed to prepare — the Latino community would be affected, and we needed a different clientele if we wanted to survive. We hired Asian and American influencers and promoted our business. The results have been excellent. That’s how we have to keep reinventing ourselves. The world changes every second, and we must evolve,” says the CEO of Santo Fish, a restaurant located in Pico Rivera.
His life has always been in constant motion. His parents have always worked in the food industry, running a small restaurant and offering catering services for events.
“Since I was seven, I started helping — sweeping, mopping, cutting chiles, everything. It was a family obligation. By age nine, I was already helping my mom cook. I know everyone says their mom is the best cook, but in my case, she truly is, and I’m not the only one who says so — it’s backed up by the number of clients she serves at her businesses,” he adds.
Noel loved helping his parents, but he always had the goal of studying Tourism Business Administration, with a focus on restaurants.
“We never had luxuries, but we never lacked anything either. My parents were very hardworking. My mom, everything she touches turns into excellence. She makes incredible carne en su jugo, birria, pozole, enchiladas, everything,” he says, savoring the thought.
Noel didn’t have time for the fun activities other kids enjoyed. His mom told him once, “They may be able to do whatever they want, but we need you with us.”
He never abandoned his studies. When he got older, he had to leave his hometown with great nostalgia and move to Vallarta to fulfill his dream of studying business. But studying wasn’t enough to satisfy Noel’s curiosity. First, he started working at a Sam’s Club, where he saw an opportunity to earn extra money by exceeding membership sales quotas.
“I was employee of the month, under 20 years old, and the supervisors took notice of my work. They wanted to promote me to supervisor, but I didn’t go for it — I needed to keep moving,” he adds.
Being in Vallarta gave him the opportunity to build a network of contacts that would later help him. “I always say that the most valuable thing isn’t money — it’s contacts.”
As part of his university internship, he had to move to Guadalajara, where he interned at a Hilton hotel that had just opened in the city. There, as always, he caught the attention of his supervisors and was soon offered a transfer back to Vallarta, where they were opening another all-inclusive hotel. It would help him learn more about managing large-scale projects.
“I got a good salary, I learned a lot about restaurants and beverages, I was doing really well, and I was constantly moving up. I bought my first apartment, and everything was going according to plan,” he says. “Everything I’ve learned and achieved has been through my own efforts.”
There was one more adventure before launching Santos Restaurant. An uncle invited him to move to California, and his spirit of exploration pushed him to go to Manteca.
“It was nothing alike — a totally different environment. Vallarta and Manteca were like night and day. But I’m someone who looks for the positive side of things, and there I put into action everything I’d learned in the previous years,” he says.
He helped the restaurant owner implement a new service and supply system, improved operations, and left everyone — including himself — satisfied. He later worked briefly in Inglewood, and everything was aligning for what would later become Santo Fish Restaurant.
“I could say that if I had wanted, I could’ve stayed in Vallarta, living off rental income and working from time to time. But a friend recommended I talk to his father about opening a restaurant in California. During that conversation, a restaurateur from Vallarta joined in, and we developed the concept for Santo. The rest is history,” he adds.
At 35, he believes he has reached one of the most important milestones in his life. With Santo, he has built not only his vision of what a high-quality, unique dining space should be, but also a thriving business.
“Three years in, I’m satisfied. We’ve faced the typical problems of running a restaurant, but we’re still here,” he emphasizes.
Now, his vision is driving him to further consolidate Santo — and toward a new dream he’s likely to realize soon.
“I know it’s really hard to open a hotel, but I want to have a space — even if it’s just an Airbnb — where I can host and take care of people. I love doing that,” he concludes.
Santo Fish Restaurant
9060 Slauson Ave, Pico Rivera, CA 90660
