A fine restaurant can be an accessible place to get a delicious meal, a welcoming spot to relax and reconnect with friends or family, and a place to explore a new culture or tradition.
When a restaurant has the ability to be all of those things, and offers an experience that invites you to become a regular patron and a friend, rather than just a customer, it can be transformative for a community.
Reda Kchik, owner of The Garden Restaurant & Cafe, said that the dream of starting a restaurant began when friends and family tasted his food while visiting; telling him that he should take his family recipes and use them to open a full service restaurant.
Reda Kchik, owner of The Garden Restaurant & Cafe, spoke to Jessica Rosa, communications coordinator for the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, about the local business’ path to success in Santa Maria.
Sergio Ruiz, Contributed
Kchik said that while the process of finding the right location and building a customer base was difficult, his effort to operate The Garden started because of his family’s desire to share homemade Mediterranean food with Santa Maria.
“We grew up with these recipes and we wanted to bring that same feeling of family and tradition to our community,” Kchik said.
The traditional Mediterranean flavors have proven successful for the restaurant, and have turned business transactions with strangers and customers into relationships that keep people coming back for more.
“It’s not like you come in, you eat and you go. Our customers that we have are like daily customers. I know Sunday, who’s going to be sitting at that table, or there at that table. We’re gonna set what they order, and it’s part of your life,” Kchik explained.
In this month’s Local Business Spotlight, we sat down with Reda Kchik, Owner of The Garden Restaurant & Cafe, to learn about his family’s dream of sharing real, homemade Mediterranean food with Santa Maria.
Reda shares the story of how his friends encouraged him to open the restaurant after enjoying his cooking, and how the dream became a reality when he found the perfect location in 2015.
community through their fun events like weekend buffets and karaoke nights, and how the support from Santa Maria has been truly meaningful.
Sergio Ruiz, Contributed
While business was slow when Kchik first opened with his wife in 2017, he said he remained confident that the restaurant would be successful because he had positive reactions from all of his customers and did not hear complaints about the food, service or the uniquely luxurious setting.
The restaurant, located at 122 East Boone St. in Santa Maria, features a beautiful indoor dining area and a large outdoor patio perfect for pairs of diners, small groups and even large parties.
The menu at The Garden Mediterranean Restaurant & Cafe features a wide range of traditional flavors for diners looking for appetizers, lunch or dinner entrees and desserts, including vegetarian and vegan options.
Sergio Ruiz, Contributed
The covered patio is adorned with green topiaries, standing plants and small flower pots allowing for a true garden dining experience.
The menu features a wide range of options, with entrees ranging from lamb chops to grilled salmon, offering diners more variety than kebabs featuring shrimp, chicken and beef. Dessert options, for those diners who manage to save any room, include baklava and ashta b’assal.
The central Santa Maria location allows quick lunch stops or, Kchik said, the patio area can be reserved for groups as large as 100 people — a perfect spot for an anniversary party, company event or family reunion.
“Everybody who sees the atmosphere, they love it. We are excited to continue hosting fun events, like weekend buffets and karaoke night,” Kchik said. “We want to create more moments where the community can come together, enjoy good food, and make great memories.”
The restaurant is available for dine-in service and online orders Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Search the full menu, and make a reservation to dine at The Garden by visiting their website at thegardenmediterranean.com.
Follow The Garden on their Facebook and Instagram pages to stay up-to-date on new menu offerings or specials and upcoming events.
The Garden Mediterranean Restaurant & Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m at 122 East Boone St. in Santa Maria. Search their full menu, and make a reservation on their website at thegardenmediterranean.com.
Sergio Ruiz, Contributed
This column was produced in partnership with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. See the spotlight video, and learn more about the work of the Chamber advocating for businesses and economic growth in the Santa Maria Valley on their website, www.santamaria.com.
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