Our Story
San Pancho is family owned. Husband & wife team, Carolina McCandless & David Perez, first met in 2012 at a Mexican restaurant in the heart of the Mission district of San Francisco. San Pancho was born out of their desire to bring "Mission style" burritos to the DMV area. That is where the tag line “Born in La Mission” came from. We wanted to bring burritos in the style of the Mission district while also being careful to source premium ingredients. Our flour tortillas are Sonoran style and imported from Mexico. Our meats are from local farms & hormone-free. Everything in our kitchen is scratch made. For San Francisco transplants, we hope to bring a little bit of THE BAY to the DMV.
Their restaurant group, La Rosa Hospitality, includes San Pancho's sister restaurant
Cielo Rojo, a California influenced Mexican restaurant in Takoma Park.
Our Team
David Perez
Owner, Executive Chef
Chef David Perez, born in Mexico City, immigrated to the US when he was 17 years old. He has worked in kitchens ever since. His first job was working at a taqueria in the Marina district in San Francisco. His passion for California Mexican cuisine is rooted in his mother's cooking and a childhood spent enjoying street food in Mexico City and then living in San Francisco for over 20 years. He loves to experiment with different influences of his upbringing and making food that reminds you of childhood memories.
Fun fact: Chef David has a passion for making Chef knives!
Carolina McCandless
Owner, Ops & Creative Director
Carolina was born in Chile and raised in Cabin John, MD. She lived in San Francisco for the last 13 years while getting her B.S. in Dietetics from SFSU. During her studies, she worked in restaurants & bars as a server, bartender and manager. Prior to moving back east she worked as Head of Operations for a corporate catering start up overseeing 3 markets in the bay area. She then decided to come back to her true passion, the restaurant industry. She is passionate about design, and you will see her choices throughout the space.
Fun fact: Carolina sang & did Musical theatre most of her life!
Juan Carlos (JC)
General Manager
Born in Oaxaca, Mexico. JC has 15 years experience in the hospitality industry. He started as a barista in a local coffee shop and moved into managing their cafe. His passion for the hospitality industry started there. He has worked for Cielo Rojo for 2 years prior to moving into management. Always being a steady, helpful and dedicated staff member who is loved and respected by his peers. You will see him always handing a helpful hand around the restaurant.
Fun fact: I will eat al pastor tacos for the rest of my life!