TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson has the highest percentage of family-owned businesses of any metro area in the country, according to a recent report from OnDeck, which analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data on business ownership nationwide.
The report found 34% of businesses in the Tucson metro area are family-owned, putting the city at No. 1 in the nation, well above the national average of roughly 27%.
To understand why, you don't have to look much further than downtown, where El Charro has been serving Tucson since 1922.
The restaurant started as a small operation Monica Flin ran out of her own home. More than a century later, it's still run by her family, and it's grown into much more than one restaurant. Today, the Flin family runs three El Charro locations, two steakhouses, and even a wedding venue.
Candace Carrillo is the catering and special events director at El Charro, and part of the family that's kept the business running for more than 100 years.
"I think Tucson is a beautiful breeding ground," Carrillo said. "It's a pure place we always say, to encourage families to go out and leave their mark in the economic community."
Carrillo said being family-owned for over a century comes with a responsibility she doesn't take lightly.
"Having been a family business for 103 years, we're able to provide jobs for over 500 families," Carrillo said. "That's a blessing to be able to say."
But Carrillo said the expansion isn't really the point. It's who stuck around to build it. That mindset shapes how the business operates, especially when times get tough.
"We learned to have tenacity," Carrillo said. "We're driven by Monica's story, and what she created and left us as a legacy. What my mother continued, and now what my brothers and I continue with our families."
Carrillo said that same tenacity is part of what makes Tucson stand out, not just for her family's business, but for the wider community of family-owned shops, restaurants, and companies across the city.
"I think we should point to the fact that Tucson has a spirit of entrepreneurship, a spirit of perseverance," Carrillo said. "I think that is why. We have each other's back."
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
