A community fundraiser for Del Pueblo Café in Goleta raised more than $25,000, allowing the family-run restaurant to remain open for at least three more years, according to an update provided by owners Giselle Cuevas and Victor Camargo on Monday. Del Pueblo — originally opened in 1997 by Cuevas’s grandparents Alejandro and Esperanza Arreola — was on the verge of closing its doors due to financial struggles when Cuevas and Camargo reached out to the public to ask for help just over a week earlier.
The young couple had been running the restaurant since taking over from Cuevas’s uncle in 2024, leaning into the family’s traditional authentic menu while bringing a new energy to the business. But it was an uphill battle to keep the restaurant afloat, and the two often had to work long hours seven days a week to keep the restaurant running. As the growing costs of business, previous debts, and the ever-increasing price of rent kept mounting, Cuevas turned to the community with a last-minute plea for support via the restaurant’s Instagram account.
“We don’t usually ask for help, and it took a lot for us to finally do so … but we’re being pushed to a difficult point,” Cuevas wrote on October 4. She said the business was given a week to pay a large portion of its outstanding debt or else risk being forced to close for good.
The post was reshared hundreds of times on social media, and in less than 10 days, the GoFundMe page raised more than $25,000. These include more than 260 individual donations, with anonymous donations coming in for as much as $3,000 in support of the business.
On October 13, Cuevas and Camargo posted an update thanking the community and saying that the restaurant would now be able to stay in business through the remainder of its lease, for at least the next three years.
“We would like to take a moment to express how grateful we are,” Cuevas and Camargo wrote. “Thank you for the overwhelming love and support we have received this week. Your generosity has helped us keep our doors open.”
Cuevas said that, just a week ago, the couple was dealing with “a wave of grief” about the uncertain future of Del Pueblo.
“We always try to give back to the community without expecting anything in return, yet this time, the community has rallied around us, and we feel incredibly blessed,” Cuevas said. “The connections we have created are beyond what we could have ever imagined, and we are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you.”
Along with the post thanking the community, Cuevas shared several photos and videos of her memories at the restaurant, including family pictures and candid moments captured of Del Pueblo staff and customers over the years. She said she was grateful for the outpouring of support the business received over the past week, but said the work was far from over.
“The challenges we are facing are not yet over,” Cuevas said. “Over the next three years, we must continue to work diligently to make ends meet and seek consistency. We kindly ask for your ongoing support to hope that we do not face this situation again. We hope to rely on all of you as we navigate the remainder of our lease, as we are committed to being here for you. We hope to see you all this week, and every week for the next three years.”
