A downtown Galesburg restaurant and tequila bar opened Monday under new ownership — touting the best Mexican food you’ve ever had.
Armando Velazquez of Riverside, California, is the new owner of La Cantinita Cafe & Tequila Bar, 240 E. Simmons St. He also operates the popular Long Beach Taco Company in Long Beach.
Elvith Santoyo-McNaught and her husband Justin McNaught, who opened the eclectic and artsy La Cantinita in the fall of 2020, elected to sell the establishment to pursue other interests.
Bringing the taste of ‘Cali’ to Galesburg
Velazquez said it was love at first sight when he spotted an online for-sale listing of La Cantinita
“We were thinking about expanding our restaurant business, and I was looking for something outside of California,” Velazquez said. “I was looking online, and boom, I saw this place for sale. Just from the photos, I knew I had to give it a closer look.
“Everything — the bar, the restaurant, the art, the furnishing, the patio — it all just looked so nice to me. If I would have imagined building one from the start, I would want this exact setup. I would do an exact replica.”
He added, “I have the same type of vibe going on at my restaurant in California.”
New owner to add more appetizers, brunch, expanded hours
Velazquez is bringing a longtime chef from Long Beach Taco Company to work in the kitchen at La Cantinita. On Day 1 in Galesburg, La Cantinita rolled out a what Velazquez promises to be a signature item — birria tacos.
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“It’s beef cooked slowly for hours in spices,” Velazquez said. “The meat turns out super juicy and tender. It’s our No. 1 taco back in Cali. We’re hoping Galesburg will love it, also.”
In addition to tacos and other Mexican fair, La Cantinita also will offer more appetizer options like jalapeño poppers and pork belly bites. Brunch — including French toast, breakfast burritos and pancakes — also will be served at La Cantinita.
“Everything is already going really nice here,” Velazquez said. “Elvith has a good thing going on here, so we’re gong to try and continue a lot of what she has going on.”
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Velazquez said he expects to settle on more consistent hours, and notes La Cantinita will stay open later at night.
“Where we’re at in Long Beach is a high tourism area,” Velazquez said. “Probably 50% of our customers are from out of state. And we always get the same comments — this is the best Mexican food we’ve ever had. And they would say, ‘Put a restaurant in my town.’”
His son Isaac Velazquez will oversee the operations of La Cantinita.
La Cantinita, according to Santoyo-McNaught, had a very successful first year despite the challenges of the pandemic which crippled much of the dining industry.
Finding the right buyer was important
But she said selling La Cantinita was always part of the business plan.
“It was built to be sellable,” she said. “ La Cantinita would be an establishment that would basically run without my presence, it would require easier and faster training, and once established it would be put on the market.”
Santoyo-McNaught said it was critical to find a buyer who would carry on her vision of La Cantinita.
“Finding the right buyer was very important for me,” she said. “I knew I was looking for someone who would see the potential in the establishment and continue to grow and nourish it while also enhancing it and possibly adding more to it … it’s like walking your baby down the isle and handing them off to someone else.
“It had to be right.”
The McNaughts continue to own the building and adjoining former Carriage House furniture store. Velasquez has signed a 10-year lease with available extensions once the lease expires.
Santoyo-McNaught — who bought the former Acapulco Restaurant in 2012, acknowledged the bar/restaurant business is in her blood and said she would consider returning to the business in the future. But it won’t be anytime soon, as she has signed a 4-year non-compete clause with Velazquez.
Former owner will miss the culture
“I am most proud of creating an establishment with an atmosphere that has been and continues to be so welcoming to so many,” she said. “I have brought so many people together, and with so much diversity, because of one establishment and that is such a beautiful thing and such an honor.”
Asked what she will miss most about owning La Cantinita, Santoyo-McNaught answered “the culture.”
“La Cantinita is so diverse in clientele, ideas, and conversations,” she said. “It is really the place to be if you want to meet someone new, see your friends, or even talk about politics without the controversial.
“Of course, the food and cocktails add to the culture but it is truly the culture that make the food and cocktails that much better.”
