Santa Fe Cafe's Memorial Fund for Austin's Family
Donation protected
On December 17, 2020 Santa Fe Café lost one of our beloved family members, Austin Harris.
In the spring of 1992 Jim and Anna Buckingham opened Santa Fe Café with the intentions of producing authentic Southwestern cuisine. When the restaurant outgrew its original footprint a few years later, Jim and Anna went to Santa Fe, New Mexico with the intentions of handpicking a new chef to help expand the restaurant. They took a chance on a 25 year old chef named Austin Harris. Austin was born and raised in New Mexico and within weeks, Austin relocated to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with only his white Ford Probe, his love of green chilis and a promising future.
With Austin at the helm of the kitchen, Santa Fe Café tripled in size over the next few years. Jim and Anna decided to sell the restaurant to Sean Crosby and Marshall Sampson, who were employees of Jim and Anna, to continue the Santa Fe tradition.
Another defining tradition of Santa Fe Café is family. The Santa Fe Café family includes both loyal staff and patrons who have lovingly supported each other and the restaurant for over 28 years.
The staff at Santa Fe Café started out as young kids working together in the food and beverage industry and little did those kids know how close of a family they truly would become. Over time those kids would get married and have kids of their own, continuing to increase the size of the Santa Fe Café family.
Family takes care of family. Austin leaves behind his wife, Becky and his beautiful young daughter, Dakota, both frequent faces at the restaurant.
Santa Fe Café is putting together this fundraising effort to help both Becky and Dakota find their way forward in a world where they have lost their rock, Austin.
In the spring of 1992 Jim and Anna Buckingham opened Santa Fe Café with the intentions of producing authentic Southwestern cuisine. When the restaurant outgrew its original footprint a few years later, Jim and Anna went to Santa Fe, New Mexico with the intentions of handpicking a new chef to help expand the restaurant. They took a chance on a 25 year old chef named Austin Harris. Austin was born and raised in New Mexico and within weeks, Austin relocated to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with only his white Ford Probe, his love of green chilis and a promising future.
With Austin at the helm of the kitchen, Santa Fe Café tripled in size over the next few years. Jim and Anna decided to sell the restaurant to Sean Crosby and Marshall Sampson, who were employees of Jim and Anna, to continue the Santa Fe tradition.
Another defining tradition of Santa Fe Café is family. The Santa Fe Café family includes both loyal staff and patrons who have lovingly supported each other and the restaurant for over 28 years.
The staff at Santa Fe Café started out as young kids working together in the food and beverage industry and little did those kids know how close of a family they truly would become. Over time those kids would get married and have kids of their own, continuing to increase the size of the Santa Fe Café family.
Family takes care of family. Austin leaves behind his wife, Becky and his beautiful young daughter, Dakota, both frequent faces at the restaurant.
Santa Fe Café is putting together this fundraising effort to help both Becky and Dakota find their way forward in a world where they have lost their rock, Austin.
Organizer and beneficiary
Bill Alberts
Organizer
Hilton Head Island, SC
Rebecca Harris
Beneficiary