When it comes to neighborhood restaurants, a new owner without experience in the business can spell drastic changes to the customer experience. That’s not a problem at Terraza Café, a restaurant on upper De la Vina Street that serves Mexican and American food.
“It was a smooth transition,” said Rosalinda Monrroy, who bought the restaurant — known as Steve’s Patio Café up until February — four years ago. “It was hard for the customers not to see ‘Steve’s’ anymore.”
The eatery first opened its doors 35 years ago and has undergone a handful of ownership changes since. For a six-year span, it was known as Mike’s Place before changing hands and being rechristened as Steve’s Patio Café. Monrroy’s quest to buy an affordable restaurant coincided with the eponymous proprietor’s retirement. Aside from adding a few new dishes after taking over the reins, Monrroy elected to maintain the same service, style, and menu due to the place’s popularity. With the community assured that no fundamental changes would alter their experience at one of their favorite restaurants, she felt it was finally time to leave her mark on the establishment. So when Steve’s underwent kitchen and patio remodelling earlier this year, it emerged from the dust as Terraza Café.