Livin’ La Vida Local: Popular Cafe Expands

Luis Castaneda had no restaurant-industry experience whatsoever when he and his two business partners opened Caf’ Vida on Antioch Street in 2002. ‘I threw away all my suits,’ says the Palisadian restaurateur, formerly a partner in the Venice-based Spanish-language advertising agency Enlace, which created TV spots for giant corporate clients such as Bank of America and Nissan. What Castaneda brought to the restaurant table was some good ol’ fashioned passion for good people and good food. Six years later, Vida is expanding its brand. Castaneda and his business partners, Francisco Cornejo and Marcello Marolla, have aligned themselves with the Spectrum Athletic Clubs chain, which will be opening Vida cafes at its facilities in what Castaneda calls ‘a controlled growth expansion.’ The first Spectrum Vida, at a San Antonio location, opened in December, with plans for more in the works. ‘It really works well for us,’ says Castaneda of the Spectrum synergy, which marries Vida’s health-conscious menu with exercise. ‘Fifty percent of what you do is what you put in your body.’ Meanwhile, the original inspiration for Caf’ Vida”Pure Energy Caf