Richard Crocker and Pronto Pups

Richard Crocker and his brothers Greg and Ted grew up in Watsonville and graduated from Watsonville High School in the early 1960s.

Their parents Lurene and Richard (Dick) Crocker began the family’s entrepreneurial adventures with the opening of the restaurant Pronto’s Pubs on Main Street in Watsonville. The building that Pronto’s Pups occupied is still in use today as the Tamale Factory.  The Crockers were pinching pennies, like most families do when first beginning an entrepreneurial business. Richard and his brothers would come home from school, set up card tables in the backroom and do their homework. Later they would take down the card tables and set up cots in order to go to sleep as there was no extra money for babysitters.

Pronto’s Pups was a popular restaurant with young ladies in skirts and roller skates taking orders and delivering food to cars in the parking lot. Community Arts and Empowerment is especially proud of the depiction of Pronto’s Pups as part of the. Watsonville Brilliante tapestry of mosaics. This image illustrates the true spirit of the American Dream that anything is possible here. 

Community Arts & Empowerment hopes that the Crocker story is an inspiration to the many families in Watsonville who are just beginning their entrepreneurial businesses. We thank the Crockers for their generous donations which have allowed us to hire interns and beautify our community.

Artist: Heidi Alonzo

Heidi Alonzo has been creating art in the Bay Area and the central coast of California since she earned a BFA in painting and drawing from San Jose State University in the early nineties. In 2020-23 she returned to SJSU and earned an MFA in Pictorial Arts. She has enjoyed guiding others to discover their own artistic abilities as a teacher since 2004 at St. Francis High School Salesian College Preparatory.

Heidi is also on the Board of Directors of Community Arts & Empowerment and is our principal designer for our sponsor panels.

Website link: Heidi Alonzo