MIMI SAN PEDRO
Tell us about yourself and what you do for a living?
I am a 40+ year marketing executive who has worked in advertising agencies, startup companies, Fortune 100 companies, and everything in between. All my years of experience brought me The Venture Center, an entrepreneur support organization that works with start-ups, small businesses, and global fintech companies from ideation to acceleration. I am the organization’s Chief Strategy Officer. I have been with my partner for 26 years and we are proud parents of Lola, a bearded collie mix, and Greta, a standard poodle.
How long have you been living in Little Rock?
My family and I moved to Little Rock 49 years ago from the Philippines. We are celebrating our 50th by going back home to be with family and to reengage with our heritage and the culture we left behind. When people ask me where I am from, I am always proud to tell them that I’m from Little Rock.
Mimi San Pedro (Photo courtesy of The Venture Center)
What influenced your decision to move here?
We have family in Arkansas. We actually moved to St. Louis when we first immigrated to the U.S., but when we visited one 4th of July weekend, we all felt that Little Rock was a better home for us and we never left.
What are your favorite places to go for a cocktail and/or dinner?
I am blessed with lifelong friends. I have a 40-year friend group called The Girlfriends, a 35+ year group of successful businesswomen called The Ladies Supper Club, and a 10+ year wine group that meets every Friday evening after a long work week. Our meetings often involve eating out and/or having wine or cocktails. My favorite places to dine are The Terrace, Kemuri, Cheers in the Heights, The Faded Rose, Cypress Social, Petit & Keet, Brave New Restaurant, Allsopp & Chappel, George’s, and SO Restaurant-Bar, to name a few. We are lucky to have some awesome restaurants to choose from, it’s hard to name them all. Our wine club meets every Friday at By The Glass wine bar.
What cultural attractions are a must-see for visitors to Little Rock?
We love The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Jazz nights at Trio’s, live music at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Broadway series performances at the Robinson Center, or any of the festivals in the Fall like the annual Main Street Food Truck Festival or Hillcrest Harvest Fest.
A friend is coming to Little Rock for the first time. Please describe the perfect weekend.
Our perfect weekend is all about friends and family. We would start at By The Glass with our wine group and go to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants afterward. The next day will be spent walking at one of our parks, possibly playing golf, or visiting one of our museums: Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, Arkansas Territorial Restoration, or the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, and ending the day at our beautiful home by the pool having cocktails and dinner with friends and family. Brunch at Raduno or The Root Café or @ The Corner starts our Sunday, and then off to the movies or shopping.
Petit Keet (Photo courtesy of Little Rock Convention Visitor Bureau)
What are the best places to enjoy the natural beauty of the area?
Walking our parks: Riverfront, Two Rivers, Pinnacle Mountain, Big Dam Bridge, or just around our beautiful neighborhoods in Hillcrest, Heights, and Overlook at Emerald Park.
What is your favorite time of year in Little Rock and why?
I love all the seasons in Little Rock. Each of them brings awesome beauty and is one of the reasons why I love Little Rock. I anticipate the changing weather and beauty that each season has to offer.
What locally made product would you recommend that visitors bring home for their friends or family?
A case of our local craft beers: Flyway, Lost Forty, Diamond Bear, Stone’s Throw, etc. Also, A Little Rock T-shirt from Domestic Domestic, a gallon of ice cream from Loblolly Creamery, a piece of art from one of our talented local artists, a purse from Esse Purse Museum, a book from one of our Little Rock authors, or some local honey.
Please finish this sentence: Don’t leave Little Rock without…
Making a friend for life.
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