Santa Fe Restaurant in Coachella recognized as region's 2022 Small Business of the Year

Eliana Perez, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·3 min read
The Sante Fe Restaurant in Coachella was recognized as the 56th California State Assembly District's Small Business of the Year for helping its community during the pandemic. From left is owner Pedro Padilla, Iris Selvos, Omar Arguelles, Felix Caudillo, Carlos Obeso, Michelle Vargas and Paola Renteria.
The Sante Fe Restaurant in Coachella was recognized as the 56th California State Assembly District's Small Business of the Year for helping its community during the pandemic. From left is owner Pedro Padilla, Iris Selvos, Omar Arguelles, Felix Caudillo, Carlos Obeso, Michelle Vargas and Paola Renteria.

Santa Fe Restaurant, which has been in the City of Coachella for 14 years and has a second location in Cathedral City, celebrated its recognition as a 2022 Small Business of the Year honoree in Sacramento last week.

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, selected the local Mexican food spot for the distinction and owner Pedro Padilla attended a special ceremony hosted by the California Small Business Association at the state's capitol, where he received an official certificate.

"It was a surprise," Padilla told The Desert Sun. "Basically, assemblymembers nominate businesses according to their region, but I never thought we'd be among those recognized."

Though the restaurant offers a unique spin on classic Mexican dishes, with flavors from Padilla's hometown of San Juan De Los Lagos in Jalisco, Garcia said Santa Fe especially deserved the honor for going "above and beyond" in its service to the community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California State Assembly recognized Sante Fe Restaurant in Coachella as the 56th Assembly District's Small Business of the Year for helping the local community during the pandemic.
The California State Assembly recognized Sante Fe Restaurant in Coachella as the 56th Assembly District's Small Business of the Year for helping the local community during the pandemic.

In March 2020, the restaurant organized a local assistance program in which it distributed food to medical staff, farmworkers, seniors and homeless people to provide some pandemic relief.

"We didn't know what to do with the food at first. I think it was a Friday when we had to go into lockdown and we had just gotten a food delivery. A lot of (Santa Fe) workers took food home, but we still had too much," Padilla recalled. He said it was his idea to prep and give out the food to people in need, but that, fortunately, his employees volunteered to help.

"Thank God, I had everyone's support. I had donated food before, but not at that level and not with the help of my workers and family. We really enjoyed it and we did so for more than six months," Padilla said.

Santa Fe's giving spirit only grew during the pandemic. Once the U.S. government began offering assistance due to COVID-19, Padilla said he and his restaurant crew paused the food distribution and started providing laptops to young students stuck learning from home, drawing from both personal funds and donations.

"People in the areas of Coachella, Mecca (and) Thermal were telling me they were only given one tablet or computer per household for their kids, so I thought it was a good idea to try and gift computers to the kids that didn't have one," Padilla said. He estimated that the restaurant donated about 40 laptops over the course of four months.

Padilla believes assisting the community is key to being a business owner.

"It's sad to see that some business owners only care about making money," he said. "To me, giving back to the community is important because without it, without local customers, I could not have my business."

The Sante Fe Restaurant in Coachella was recognized as the 56th California State Assembly District's Small Business of the Year for helping the local community during the pandemic.
The Sante Fe Restaurant in Coachella was recognized as the 56th California State Assembly District's Small Business of the Year for helping the local community during the pandemic.

In Garcia's recognition of Santa Fe Restaurant, he said he was proud of Padilla’s contributions to the Coachella Valley's economy "and his big heart for community giving."

“Santa Fe Restaurant stepped up to support seniors, struggling families, and our essential farmworkers during the pandemic. The food assistance program they launched saved many residents from going hungry," Garcia said. "They were one of the first restaurants in the state who mobilized to provide this type of food delivery service, and they did so without hesitation or expectations of repayment. We hope this award expresses our deep gratitude for Santa Fe Restaurant and their community leadership."

He also called Padilla an embodiment of the American dream, emphasizing how he worked his way up from being a dishwasher when he arrived in the U.S. 22 years ago, to eventually owning his own restaurant.

Padilla said he remains committed to various charitable causes in the valley, which include supporting citizenship assistance and higher education scholarships.

"The truth is, we never expected anything in return. But this recognition, which isn't just mine, but all of the staffs', has made us proud and has gotten us talking about what's next for Santa Fe Restaurant. We don't want the giving to end," Padilla said.

Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley. Reach her at eliana.perez@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ElianaPress. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella's Santa Fe Restaurant named a Small Business of the Year