Nicha’s Comida Mexicana is more than a restaurant, it’s a family legacy built on faith, hard work, and the deep-rooted belief in familia. What began as a small taco shop on San Antonio’s South Side has grown into a multi-location business, serving generations of loyal guests. At the heart of it all is Arthur Garcia, who, alongside his brother Richard, has helped carry forward the vision their parents first brought to life in 1977.
Arthur’s path to running the family business wasn’t immediate. Raised in a Christian household where hard work and integrity were core values, he pursued a degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas at San Antonio, graduating in 1991. He went on to serve as a probation officer in Kerrville and a correctional officer in Texarkana. Eventually, he returned to San Antonio and began working in the restaurant industry, not at his parents’ place, but at Luby’s. He believed it was important to gain his experience elsewhere before stepping into the family legacy. The job demanded long hours and tough lessons, but it was there that he began to understand what it would take to lead a successful restaurant.
That foundation prepared him to join the family business in a meaningful way. His parents, Gene and Dionisia “Nicha” Garcia, had started the restaurant decades earlier with little more than a plot of land and a dream. In 1977, Gene owned a car wash and used a plot of land next to it to try his hand at the restaurant business. The demand quickly outgrew the car wash, with customers parking in its bays just to get a taste of the food. They knew they had something special. The restaurant, originally named Minit Taco, quickly expanded to a location on Roosevelt Avenue, now affectionately known as the original Nicha’s!
In 2003, Arthur and Richard officially took over together and renamed the restaurant to honor their mother, whose nickname, “Nicha,” had become synonymous with hospitality and good food. They have since grown the business to three locations, with their most recent opening on West Avenue in 2023. Yet despite the expansion, the heart of Nicha’s has remained the same: a focus on family, tradition, and community.
Many of the original menu items still anchor the offerings at Nicha’s today, and the South Side location even retains the same cook who helped shape the kitchen decades ago. At the same time, the menu has evolved with the times. When they opened the Loop 410 location in 2009, the addition of a full bar brought new energy and opportunity to the business, even though neither Arthur nor Richard had any bar experience at the time. Relying on advice from friends in the industry, they successfully launched a cocktail program that now includes crowd-pleasers like espresso martinis and carajillos, blending modern trends with Tex-Mex roots.
Adapting to the changing landscape of the food industry hasn’t always been easy. The pandemic brought sharp increases in food costs and long-term disruptions in the labor market. While costs have stabilized somewhat, they’ve never returned to pre-pandemic levels. Staffing remains one of the biggest challenges, as many workers left the industry altogether. In response, Arthur focuses on creating a workplace where employees feel supported and valued. It’s a simple philosophy: treat your team well, and they’ll do the same for your guests.
Building that kind of culture has taken years of trust and consistency. Arthur has learned to rely on his managers to not only run the day-to-day operations but also to hire people who fit the spirit of the restaurant. Experience matters, but character matters more. Personality, warmth, and the ability to connect with people are what truly make a difference. Skills can be taught, personality cannot.
This people-first mindset is why Nicha’s feels like home to so many. Customers don’t just come for the food; they come to celebrate life’s moments. The restaurant has become a backdrop for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and even weekly family dinners that span generations. There’s a special kind of gratitude that comes from seeing guests return with their children, and then their grandchildren, continuing the cycle of tradition and connection. One especially powerful moment reminded Arthur just how deep that connection runs. A family friend, who now lives with dementia, came into the restaurant with her daughter. The daughter told Arthur that when she was at home with her mom, she told her they were going to go see Arthur and eat at his place. Her mom did not remember Arthur, but when the word “Nicha’s” came up she said, “Oh yes, I love that place”. Despite her memory loss, the atmosphere, the food, and the emotions tied to Nicha’s still remained vivid. It was a striking example of just how meaningful the space had become, not just a restaurant, but a place woven into the fabric of people’s lives.
Arthur is proudest not of the business success, but of the life he’s built around it. Married for 28 years with three daughters, he considers his family his greatest accomplishment. All of his children have worked in the restaurant at some point, and his youngest is now studying business and considering culinary school. If she chooses to join the family legacy, Arthur hopes she’ll first gain experience elsewhere, just as he once did, to understand the value of a strong work ethic.
Behind the scenes, he credits much of the restaurant’s strength to the people who support it, from the staff and family to trusted advisors like ADKF. Working with his longtime partner, Rene Garcia, and the ADKF team has helped Arthur make informed financial decisions that ensure the business stays healthy and positioned for future growth. The goal is to eventually open five locations, but expansion will never come at the cost of quality!
Through every stage of its journey, Nicha’s has remained grounded in gratitude. Arthur sees it all as a blessing from God, from the chance to work alongside his brother Richard, to the unwavering support of his family, to the customers who’ve made Nicha’s a part of their lives. For him, this isn’t just a business. It’s a testament to what’s possible when you build something with love, hard work, family and God at the center of it all.