Our Stories
The Neighborhood Café – 1932 to 1978 By Alicia Ketcham
Next to our restaurant, at 1752 National Avenue, we livedin a two-story house. In addition to running the café, my parents rented rooms on the second floor of our house and small rooms located off our backyard. Many in the neighborhood had running accounts at the café, which were settled up on payday. Our café had a long history of supporting the Don Diego Veterans of Foreign Wars #7420, which initially was located in downtown San Diego but is now located on Logan Avenue. They held large dances at the Balboa Park Club. Our café was one of the places where dance tickets were sold. After the dances ended and the night clubs closed, our café was packed with people mainly eating menudo. So many customers had to wait outside until a booth or counter space opened up. On Saturday nights, the café was cleaned up and lights out by 3:30 a.m.
My parents, Ernesto and Guadalupe Araujo, met and married in Tucson, Arizona in 1922. They arrived in San Diego in the early 1920s. In 1932, they opened the Neighborhood Café located at 1754 National Avenue in what is now Barrio Logan. There were four siblings in my family. All of us spent time working in the café.
Our restaurant truly was “The Neighborhood Café.”
Guadalupe Arajuo behind the counter
Ours was one of just a handful of restaurants in the area. During WWII, the Neighborhood Café was a popular destination for many neighborhood boys who were on leave. My brother Ernie “Neto,” was a WWII Army Air Corps veteran. We were located very close to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic church on Kearny Avenue in the barrio. After Sunday morning mass, many came to the café for breakfast. We had a full menu; however, our most popular entrée was menudo. Other popular dishes were tacos, enchiladas and refried beans.
Neighborhood Café Patrons
Chef Ernesto Arajuo on the patio
(Photos courtesy of Alicia Ketcham)
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