PRESS
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
… Working as an oncology nurse for many years and getting close to her patients inspired Thorn to chase her dream of owning a restaurant of her own as she had worked at El Palomar in downtown Santa Cruz for about 15 years and wore a variety of front-of-the-house hats before moving into the medical field.
“Time after time, year after, person after person, the lesson is, do the things,” said Thorn. “The one regret that people have when they get to the place when their bodies won’t work for them anymore, it’s do the things that bring you joy, do the things that scare you, or don’t seem smart but are led by the heart or help others.”
To realize her dream of owning and operating a restaurant, Thorn teamed up with local chef Dameon Deworken to take on the menu side of things, and the pair had planned to take over Felton’s Trout Farm Inn before ultimately landing at Laurel and Pacific. …
PAID THE COST PODCAST
“This episode is inspiring to say the least. It’s the story of the dreamer and the will. Mia Thorn has already made a huge impact on our local community by her work as an oncology nurse and now she’s put it all on the line to open Santa Cruz’s newest dining and tap room restaurant in downtown. Her experiences in the nursing field and her trust in her partner’s extraordinary culinary skills are ingredients for success. I can almost guarantee that you’ll be a fan of Mia’s after this podcast.”
LOOKOUT SANTA CRUZ
“Popular food truck Asian fusion fare will morph into new things as the Cruz Kitchen & Taps takes shape at the historic site of the former Saturn Cafe at Pacific and Laurel in downtown Santa Cruz.”
LOOKOUT SANTA CRUZ
“Deworken and Thorn have clearly put a lot of energy into sprucing up the iconic building and modernizing the interior, with fresh coats of paint, new booths and a beautiful new bar renovated by Paul Neall of Concrete Craftsman. Each table displays the work of a different Santa Cruz artist, including Marie Gabrielle, Tina Fuller Somers, Janet Allinger and Yeshe Jackson. More local art is displayed proudly on the walls.”