Today we’d like to introduce you to Ponce Meza.
Ponce, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My “official” beginning working at Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant started in my adolescent years. My father, Ponce Meza Sr., opened Ponce’s in 1969. As a kid, my dad would take me with him to work at “the restaurant” on most Saturday’s so I could see what he did and help where I could. This continued through the years and as I got older (high school and part of my college years) I found myself working more and more with him, learning as much as I could about the family business. My father is a hard-working man and he always wanted to instill that work ethic in me. I could see that my father was teaching me what the business was all about as he was grooming me to eventually help carry on what he had started.
I attended the business program at SDSU to study accountancy. Learning the “numbers” side helped me bridge the gap between the finance side and human aspect (food and guest services) of our business. After graduating and having a short stint in the public accounting world, I got the opportunity to jump whole-heartedly into family business. With my father ready to retire and my sister, Rocio, onboard, it was time to take what my father started to the next level.
In 2001, we revamped the interior space and added a full bar. With the addition of new team members, Rocio and I made our mark on the business. Being in my early-20’s at the time helped us inject some young blood into the 30-year-old company. With the work ethic my father instilled, we were able to grow the small business footprint into a brand that is recognizable throughout Kensington and San Diego.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with any business, it has not gone without challenges or obstacles along the way. I think a big challenge we face today is staying relevant in the restaurant landscape. There are more and more restaurants opening in San Diego, giving consumers more and more options. Keeping our loyal customers coming back along with attracting new ones has made us become more agile and change with the challenges.
Although the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” we’ve had to tweak things along the way to keep Ponce’s fresh. Over the last 20 years, we’ve made slight changes to our food offerings, continuously looking to see what our guests enjoy. This led to quarterly food and drink specials, always chosen with the customers in-mind.
When it comes to management of the staff, the most important aspect we impart is the connection with our customers. We want to make our guests feel welcome; Ponce’s should feel like an extension of the family.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a family-owned Mexican Restaurant in Kensington, San Diego. My father, Ponce Sr., opened Ponce’s in fall of 1969, and my sister and I continued his legacy when we took over management in 2000.
We pride ourselves on doing business the “right” way by not putting profits over employee satisfaction and community involvement. We feel that we can do our job better when our employees feel they are given the necessary tools to succeed themselves. Whether that is through a comfortable and fun work environment or a livable wage, our success goes together with theirs. Also, being a part of the community is important to our success. Having our guests see our involvement in Business for Good, Dine-Out for Life, Mid-City Little League sponsorships, San Diego Beach Cleanup, Kensington’s Annual Memorial Day Parade and Block Party along with many others shows that we really do care about the people and communities that support us!
Trailing our father’s tradition of success in the restaurant industry, in 2014 my sister and I opened a second “sister restaurant” in Portland, OR, aptly named “Rocio’s.” Most recently in 2018, we opened a 3rd location with “Ponce’s” Del Sur, in North County San Diego.
Fun, casual dining in a warm atmosphere is what we passionate about. All three of our locations are places where singles, couples and families alike can come to enjoy a great meal in a stylish and relaxed setting.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4050 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116
- Website: www.poncesrestaurant.com
- Phone: 6192824413
- Email: ponce@poncesrestaurant.com
Image Credit:
Rob Tardio
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
