They Came From Somewhere Else and Built Something Here

May 6

A few businesses in the Santa Cruz Mountains started by people who chose these mountains, and never left

I've been thinking about this for a while. Some of the best businesses up here, the ones that have become actual parts of the community, were started by people who came from somewhere else entirely and decided that this particular stretch of mountains was where they wanted to build something.

That's not a small thing. Starting a business is hard. Starting one in a foreign country, sometimes in a language you're still learning, in a place that doesn't always make it easy, in a region that has its own quirks and limitations and rhythms that take years to understand, that's a different kind of commitment.

These are a few of the businesses I think are worth knowing.

Corazon de Leon, Ben Lomond

Marco Rocha grew up in León, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. He came to Boulder Creek 22 years ago and said he was floored by the redwoods the first time he saw them. He spent years working in kitchens up here, starting at La Bruschetta in Felton, learning Italian techniques and culinary skills alongside friends who had also made their way from his hometown.

He started El Rey Leon as a food truck out of Boulder Creek, and it became genuinely beloved. The Press Banner named it Best Food Truck in the San Lorenzo Valley in 2025. He also ran fundraisers for a local elementary school, putting 50 percent of sales toward the school. That kind of thing doesn't happen because a business owner is trying to build a brand. It happens because they actually care about the place.

This past February, he opened Corazon de Leon at 9217 Highway 9 in Ben Lomond, the restaurant space surrounded by that redwood fairy ring that locals know well. He's running it with his daughter Angelica and cook Valentina Calvillo, who also emigrated from León. The food is León-style Mexican, which is its own distinct regional thing. The corn quesadillas are a good place to start.

Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sundays for lunch.

Aroma Restaurant, Ben Lomond

Mario Ibarra grew up in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. He's been in the Santa Cruz Mountains for over 25 years now and has become one of the most recognizable figures in the local restaurant scene, though if you ask him about it he'll probably just tell you he loves the mountains. He told a reporter once that what he appreciates most about living here is the freedom. "You can do whatever you want to do," he said. That tracks.

Aroma is his fourth restaurant in this area. It's at 9600 Highway 9 in Ben Lomond, in the space that was the Tyrolean Inn for decades. He co-owns it with Pasquale Bianco, who is originally from Naples, Italy, and together they've put together something that's genuinely hard to categorize. The menu pulls from a lot of different places, French, Italian, Mexican, Filipino, depending on the night, and it works. The ceviche is worth ordering. So is whatever they're doing with local wine pairings.

He also now runs Henflings, the historic bar in Ben Lomond, which he took over because he didn't want the money leaving the community. He said that directly. "I think the money from a business should stay in the community." He's also recently taken on the Brookdale Lodge Cafe and Grill. At this point he is simply part of the fabric of the San Lorenzo Valley in a way that took decades to build.

Sugar Bakery, Soquel

Ela Crawford came to California from Ukraine in 2016 with her identical twin sister, Ala. She was 21. Her family's home back in Ukraine had been destroyed by a Russian bomb two years earlier. Her goal when she arrived was straightforward: work hard, save money, buy her family a new home. She did that, working long hours across multiple restaurant jobs without turning down much of anything.

Then in 2020, her wedding venue canceled six days before the date. She and her husband Henry just handled it themselves. That experience pulled her toward baking. She taught herself, starting with macarons because she'd read they were the hardest thing to learn. She's talked about the thousands of failures, the crying on the floor, the showing up the next day and trying again. Eventually they worked.

She now has a proper storefront and production space at 2750 41st Avenue in Soquel, after outgrowing a kiosk in the Capitola Mall. The macarons are still the thing people come for first, in flavors like pistachio raspberry and mango passion fruit. The Eastern European honey cake has its own loyal following. And recently she's been going viral for fruit-shaped mousse desserts that look almost too good to eat.

It's not in the mountains. But if you're heading down toward the coast anyway, it's worth the stop.

Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm. @sugarbakeryco on Instagram.

A Few Notes on Supporting These Places

None of this is complicated. Go there, spend money, leave a review if you mean it, bring people with you. If there's a language difference, extend a little patience. These businesses are usually family-run and operating on margins that don't leave a lot of slack.

Ask what they recommend. Most of the time, people love talking about the food or the dish that's their favorite. That kind of curiosity is a form of respect.

And come back. One visit is nice, but regulars are what keep a business running.

Why I'm Writing About This as a Real Estate Agent

When people ask me what living in the mountains is actually like, food and community are part of the answer. Not in a vague way. In a specific way, where you know the person cooking your dinner came from somewhere far away and chose this exact stretch of Highway 9 to build something. That matters to what it feels like to live here.

If you're thinking about buying in Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Scotts Valley, or Lompico, I'm happy to talk about what each of these communities actually feels like to live in, and yes, where to eat. Follow me on Instagram at @heysarahwagner and @santacruzmountainliving, or reach out directly if you want to talk about finding a home up here.

Sarah Wagner