The 88-year-old, family-owned Mission establishment, Casa Sanchez—known for its free chips and salsa, live music and a short-lived but memorable “free burritos for life” offer to any customer willing to be tattooed with the restaurant’s mascot—has been formally honored with the 2012 Gellert Family Business Award.
Some 100 people attended the reception hosted by the University of San Francisco School of Management’s Gellert Family Business Center. A mix of community, family and appointed officials connected with small business in San Francisco attended, including Regina Dick-Endrizzi, director of the Mayor’s Office of Small Business, and Richard Ventura, former president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The annual awards are made possible by a generous gift from The Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation. This year, Casa Sanchez was recognized along with Diamonds in the Rough Daycare for exemplifying a commitment to community and business success in the Bay Area and beyond.
“Diamonds in the Rough and Casa Sanchez show us how successful family businesses serve as the cornerstones of communities,” said Monika Hudson, assistant professor at USF’s School of Management and director of the Gellert Family Business Center. “They are intelligent entrepreneurs who approach business with excellence and a deep commitment to our community.”
Located at 2778 24th St. in San Francisco, Casa Sanchez is a Mexican restaurant by day and a lounge by night that features live music, drinks and authentic Mexican cuisine.
Founded in 1924 by Roberto and Isabel Sanchez, the small business originally focused on stone-ground tortillas and was the very first mechanized tortilla factory in Northern California. The business is still owned and operated by the Sanchez family and its salsas are the number one and two best-selling salsas in Northern and Southern California, respectively.
“The tortilla chips factory is still around and chips are sold statewide. Their story portrays an immigrant family coming to the states and overcoming language barriers,” said Erick Arguello, president of the Lower 24th Street Merchants Association. “They have demonstrated leadership and their business model is an example to other businesses.”
He added that Casa Sanchez stays connected to the neighborhood by donating food items to local nonprofits and events.
“In the business world, staying in touch with the community is important for business to work,” he said.
Martha Sanchez, great, great-granddaughter of the original founders, helps run Casa Sanchez.
“The Sanchez family is humbled to be recognized by the University of San Francisco, especially with this family business award,” she said. “Having a strong work ethic is first and foremost when operating a family business, and we are delighted to be recognized for that hard work.”
In addition to receiving the award, Diamonds in the Rough and Casa Sanchez will benefit from additional education, marketing, succession planning and technical analytics assistance that USF offers to its Gellert awardees.
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