The patriarch of the Barajas family, Manuel Mata Barajas was our rock. He lived an exceptional life, full of struggle and hard work, and he accomplished his dream of owning a successful restaurant. His legacy is carried on through the family he left behind, who miss him dearly.
Manuel was born on June 17, 1937, in Aguascalientes, Mexico, to Agnes (Anita) Mata and Geronimo Barajas. He was the oldest of their four children; the others were Jose, Raquel, and Esperanza. After his parents’ divorce, his father passed away, and his mother, a U.S. citizen, moved to California in order to work and save money to bring her children over. Manuel and his siblings lived with their grandparents for eight years before Agnes was finally able to save enough money to send for them. In April 1953, they made the trip to Santa Barbara. In those eight years, Agnes had married Antonio Guevara, who had come to the U.S. through the bracero program, and they had three children: Theresa, Ana, and George. Agnes had worked for the Rose Café since moving to Santa Barbara, and the owner offered her the opportunity to buy the business. Having spent all her money to bring her kids to the U.S., she knew this would be a very difficult task. Her family came together to do whatever they could to help her buy the restaurant, and a year and a half later, in 1955, she succeeded.
Around this time, Manuel met a young lady named Socorro Vasquez. He was immediately smitten. He would often drive to her job at a movie theater, now the Metro 4, park right in front on State Street, and wait for her to go on break or get off work to try to court her. His courting worked, and they married on April 11, 1958. They had four children together: Manuel Jr., Ralph, David, and Gina. Due to his years working with his mother in her restaurant, he developed a strong desire to be in the restaurant industry. He worked in several restaurants alongside different chefs and developed his craft. In 1979, he was approached to open his own restaurant on the Mesa, down the hill from his home. With the help of his family, his children, and his wife, he opened the Rose Café #2 on the Mesa in August 1980. The restaurant was his pride and joy, and he worked hard to make sure it was a success. Today, 36 years later, the Rose Café is still going strong.
