All Posts Written By John Williams-Jacob

My grandmother is pictured above at the Tuscon Public Market in 1922 where customers were waited on for each and every purchase.

Hospitality and concern for the genuine care and comfort of my guests is a family tradition! A client recently asked me, “What do you get out of doing all of this?” I stopped for a moment, I never really thought about why I like doing what I do.  It occurred to me that being of service takes our mind off of ourselves and helps us look for how we might be useful where we are.  That seemed pretty altruistic, a nice sentiment but why is it enjoyable?  There are so many ways in which we are allowed to be a part of the momentous occasions in peoples’ lives at FantaSea – you really feel privileged to be a part of it all.  For me, I have to acknowledge that I learned the joy of being of service at home.

My grandparents emigrated from Lebanon in 1918 after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. They settled in Tuscon, Arizona where they opened the Tuscon Public Market.  Later, during the Great Depression, my grandfather’s market thrived not only because it filled a need and did so at a value, but because of the level of customer service and attention to detail provided.  My father and his brothers grew up working in the market where they would pick the produce out for the customers, weight it, take it to the cash register, get the change and then carry the bags out to the parking lot.

During World War II, my father and all of my uncles enlisted in the Navy.  With the War effort and food rationing taking its effect on the community, the market closed.

My father with the Budweiser clydesdales in front of his first restaurant "The Club 21" in 1946.

When the war ended, my dad and his brothers decided that they wanted to get into the bar business and they opened up a little restaurant and bar on the outskirts of town.  This was to be the start of a business that is still open to this day.  The restaurant was founded on the same principals of hospitality and old world charm that keep it thriving today where my brothers and sisters are working hard to continue the tradition.

I learned my sense of hospitality from my parents, especially my mother.  Nothing was ever too much to ask for – and you generally didn’t have to ask for anything! Every detail was attended to lovingly.  It was her sincere pleasure to be of service.  Our guests at the restaurant, like the guests at our home, were always overwhelmed by a more than generous presentation of food and beverage in a warm, refined setting. Entertaining was more than taking care of people, it was an extension of the heart and as such, you always left our home with an unexpected sense of wellbeing.

Similarities in history between my family’s business and that of FantaSea make me feel at home. Both businesses, founded by emigrants, continue to be run by the family.  Even more importantly, both are grounded on the old world traditions of attending to the guests’ needs – both expressed and unexpressed! I look forward to sharing amazing life moments with you all and continuing a tradition of service here in Los Angeles that honors my parents and grandparents and hopefully, knocks your socks off!

An interior view of my family's El Parador Restaurant in Tuscon, Arizona