05/01/2026
Twenty-seven years ago, newly married, Jenifer and I moved to St. Louis and stumbled into the real estate business. Soon my brother Berto joined us… and then, somehow, basically our entire family. Alongside an amazing work family, we built Garcia Properties and have had the honor of helping thousands of you along the way with your real estate needs. ❤️
Five years ago, in what can only be described as a leap of faith (or a lapse in judgement), we opened The Golden Hoosier. No restaurant experience, long odds… but a whole lot of love for this city. We wanted to invest in more than buildings—we wanted to help create places where people connect. Since then, we’ve added Bud’s Pizza and reopened the iconic Uncle Bill’s Pancake House—all right here on South Kingshighway.
With The Golden Hoosier, I followed my passion & let it take me down rabbit holes. Vintage taxidermy? Yes. Local art? Of course. Art Deco bar? Why not. State park–themed patio? Obviously. Did I know if any of it would “work”? Not a clue.
So, is The Golden Hoosier a success? Berto recently put into words how we think about success at Garcia Properties: “Happiness on Investment,” or H.O.I. And by that measure, I think we’re doing pretty well.
We’re going to keep leaning into the weird. (You’ve been warned—more odd and amazing taxidermy is on the way.) In the meantime, we ask that you do the one thing no one else can do: Be 100% yourself.
Thank you to our customers, our staff—many of whom have been with us since day one—and the countless people working behind the scenes to keep The Golden Hoosier going. It really does take a village.
Your neighbor,
Ivan
