Santonia Cantina Opens Nov. 19 at Pearl From the Team Behind Naco Mexican

SAN ANTONIO, TX — Pearl gets a new kitchen next week. Santonia Cantina, the new restaurant from Naco Mexican founders Lizzeth Martinez and Francisco Estrada, opens Thursday, Nov. 19, at 200 E. Grayson St. in the old Full Goods Diner space. It will serve lunch and dinner with a full cocktail bar, and a room like that needs a crew in the kitchen, behind the bar and on the floor.

No hiring numbers have been published. If you work in restaurants near Broadway, this is the week to get your resume ready and watch for postings.

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📍 Business at a Glance

Business	Santonia Cantina
Opening	Thursday, November 19, 2026, according to the owners
Address	200 E. Grayson St., Suite 120, San Antonio, TX (Pearl, former Full Goods Diner space)
Hours	Lunch and dinner; exact hours not yet announced
Concept	Borderland cantina: Northern Mexican and South Texas cooking, cocktails
Owners	Lizzeth Martinez and Francisco Estrada (Naco Mexican)
Industry	Restaurant / hospitality
New jobs	Not yet announced

🏆 Who's Behind Santonia Cantina

Martinez and Estrada started Naco Mexican as a food truck in 2017 and grew it into the Grayson Street restaurant that earned them a 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist nod for Best Chef: Texas. Estrada grew up in Mexico City. Martinez is from Nuevo Laredo, has appeared on Netflix's Taco Chronicles and serves as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy chef ambassador for San Antonio.

The owners say Santonia is not a second Naco. Martinez has summed it up as "North Mexican. South Texan. No rules." Early menu details reported by the San Antonio Current include an elote flight, fideo seco, pozole rojo, a ribeye taco with "dirty" beans and Mexican chocolate tres leches. The bar leans on margaritas made with fresh ingredients, with sotol, mezcal and pecan showing up on the cocktail list.

For job seekers, owners who already run a busy restaurant usually have payroll, scheduling and training habits in place.

💼 The Jobs a New Pearl Cantina Runs On

Santonia has not published a headcount or a hiring page, and we are not going to guess one. What we can say is what a full-service restaurant serving lunch, dinner and cocktails usually needs.

Front of house means servers, hosts, bussers, food runners and bartenders, working split shifts across two services. The kitchen needs line cooks, prep cooks, a dish crew and a sous chef or kitchen lead. Add a floor manager or two. New restaurants also tend to adjust staffing in the first 60 to 90 days, once they see real crowds, so a second round of hiring after opening is common. Treat that as a pattern, not a promise.

🗺️ A Busy Two Weeks on the Broadway Corridor

Santonia is not opening alone. Terry Black's Barbecue opens Nov. 17 on Broadway near Pearl, two days earlier. Further out, Pearl has more concepts lined up for late 2026 and early 2027, including the Perlen House hotel, slated for May 1, 2027.

For restaurant workers, that is real leverage. When several new rooms are staffing within a mile of each other, experienced cooks and bartenders have options. Ask about schedules, tip pooling and how training works before you say yes.

📋 How to Approach a New Restaurant

Get your Texas food handler card first. The course is short and cheap, and showing up with one already done puts you ahead.
For bar work, finish TABC seller-server certification. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission lists approved courses.
Follow @santoniacantina on Instagram. New restaurants often post openings there before anywhere else.
Go between services. Mid-afternoon, never during the rush.
Say you can work weekends. Pearl draws its biggest crowds on Friday and Saturday nights and weekend afternoons.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When does Santonia Cantina open?

Thursday, November 19, 2026, according to the owners. Opening dates can shift, so check the restaurant's Instagram before you go.

Where is Santonia Cantina?

200 E. Grayson St., Suite 120, at Pearl, in the space that used to be Full Goods Diner.

Is Santonia Cantina hiring?

No hiring announcement or job count has been published. A full-service restaurant with lunch, dinner and a bar needs a sizable crew, so get your resume ready and watch for postings.

Who owns Santonia Cantina?

Lizzeth Martinez and Francisco Estrada, the founders of Naco Mexican and 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists for Best Chef: Texas.

Get Pearl Restaurant Jobs Before They Fill

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