It was a stormy night in South Phoenix. The workers as well as the customers inside of Poncho's Mexican restaurant had no idea that they would soon be dining with the President. President Clinton was in Phoenix as part of his New Market Initiative Tour. The basis for his visit to the valley was to try and allocate more money for minority owned businesses.
Poncho's has been in business for twenty-six years. The manager's name is Silvia Barbara. I had an opportunity to interview Susie Tafoya, who has been working there for eighteen years. Just prior to the President's arrival, secret service men came in and searched the entire place. This made everyone uncomfortable, because no one knew what was going on. Soon after, the President entered the restaurant soaking wet from the rain. Susie was the first to see the president, and said that "he was very tall and handsome." The entire restaurant was surrounded by police, and only the people who were already in the restaurant got to stay and finish their dinner. For dinner, the President ate the fiesta chiquita, and a coke. Altogether his visit to the restaurant lasted an hour and a half.
Since the President's visit, business has been very good. The room in which he ate dinner is decorated with pictures of him and the staff, there is even a life sized painting of him on the wall next to the table where he sat. Above the doorway entrance to the room are the words, "the President."