What it takes to build a thriving business in San Diego

David Granda and Argelia Ventura have been in each other’s lives since there teens. Their story began in a restaurant, and it has carried on through a restaurant of their own. The couple runs a popular breakfast spot in the heart of Barrio Logan called Café Maggi. It’s not only about the food there, although, that surely is a key part. They’ve created a space for connection. Local business owners know it’s an uphill battle to keep the lights on. They’ve taken the journey in stride. They started with a fruit stand near Mission College. That lead to saving up enough money to begin to think about owning a place of their own, until the actual costs of permits, renovations and equipment piled up. They attribute to making it through those times by the acts of grace extended to them. Finally when they found a steady groove, as goes the story for many, COVID hit. That’s where the community they had cultivated carried them through. Our reporter Alejandro Maciel caught up with the couple and got to see them in their element at the neighborhood staple.

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