In this first episode of the Aura Gardens series, Rachel sits down with co owner RJ Fernandez to trace the roots of his hospitality story all the way back to a family steakhouse in Chino and Temecula.RJ was literally raised in a restaurant doing homework in booths, falling asleep on stacks of bread in the kitchen, and watching guests become extended family. Along the way, his family walked through profound loss and still chose to keep the doors open and the community fed.This is not just a restaurant story. It is a story about how hospitality holds people through birthdays, funerals, first dates, and every messy in between.In this episode, you will hear aboutHow RJ’s grandparents and parents built a beloved community steakhouse that became a true neighborhood gathering placeThe origin of Tony's Spunky Steer and how it evolved into RJ Sizzle and Steer in Temecula and MurrietaWhat it was like for RJ’s mom to suddenly be a young widow and single mother while running a busy restaurantHow staff, regulars, and family rallied around RJ and his mom after his father’s death and other family tragediesRJ’s childhood memories of living inside the restaurant world from homework in booths to bussing tables with an apron down to his toesThe way guests and team members became chosen family across generationsWhy RJ sees hospitality as something far deeper than food and beverageHow restaurants hold life’s biggest moments from celebrations and proposals to grief filled gatherings after a lossRJ’s reflections on service as a way of caring for people and how he discovered his own gift for connection and storyThe influence of his mom’s leadership style and her commitment to caring for staff as her why for staying in the businessHow culinary school gave RJ a new lens on the kitchen while confirming that his truest passion is people and experienceThis episode is for you ifYou are an owner operator who wants your restaurant to feel like a true community hubYou are re thinking what hospitality really means for your concept and your teamYou are a designer or creative who wants to understand the emotional layers inside a legacy restaurant brandYou are craving a reminder that the spaces you build and run can genuinely change how people move through life eventsNext up in the Aura Gardens seriesIn part two, RJ shares how this legacy collided with burnout, the chaos of the global shutdown, and the choice to step into a new vision with his cousin Andrew that eventually became Aura Gardens.Follow the show and tap subscribe so you do not miss the next chapter of this story.Follow Aura Gardens in InstagramConnect with Rachel LarraineWebsiteInstagramInterior Design ServicesWant more guidance from me? Sign up to appear on the Holistic Hospitality Design Podcast for a design audit. You can book your design audit here.

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