Archives for February 2012

Mixer & Movie Night Filled with Colonist Memories

Alumni mixed it up at a recent Mixer & Movie Night at Arturo’s Cantina & Grill, a Fullerton restaurant owned by Class of 1949 graduate Arturo Cano.

Grads enjoyed watching restored movies dating back to 1938 up to the 1970s while enjoying a light buffet. The AHSAA used the event as an opportunity to honor the Cano Family, whose family attended Anaheim High School, served their country during WWII and the Korean Wars, established eateries that became legendary and served their community in numerous ways.

Arturo Cano from Class of 1949 still runs his restaurant which he established in 1957. After serving his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Arturo Cano set out to make his mark in Fullerton. He came home to his 10 acres of land in 1947 and wanted to grow and sell tomatoes and other crops. His mother, Catalina Cano, suggested he open a Mexican food restaurant like his older brother, Joe, owner of the La Palma Drive-In, nicknamed “The Bean Hut” by local teenagers.

The restaurant soon became a huge success with the locals. Over the next several decades, the cantina’s popularity began to outgrow its available space, and Arturo opened an entirely remodeled restaurant in 1978, boasting an enlarged kitchen and doubled the seating capacity. The long wait lines were a thing of the past and business boomed.

Along with celebrating the Canos as an Outstanding Colonist Family, the Feb . 9 event also marked the Association’s third anniversary as a non-profit corporation.  Enjoy these event photos: