DAN VILLASENOR
REGLAR DIVISION 2025
Dan Villaseñor
Nominated by Eleanor Hutchins
The history of Pepper Tree Frosty goes back to August 14, 1953, when the eatery now called Pepper Tree Frostsy opened as Tastee Freez. owned by Paul Henderson. Henderson would sell Tastee Freez in late 1957 or early 1958 to Joe Burns. In late 1959, with help of Grandpa Carlos Ybarra and John Cosh, a local banker, Chuy Villaseñor and wife Della (Dan’s parents ) were able to purchase the eatery and the property Tastee Freez sat on.
Together with the family, Chuy, Velia, Dan’s older sister Chris and younger sisters Lydia and Vicky and himself, all worked at various times at the Taste Freez, then turned into Pepper Tree Frosty. Danny said, “All hands were on deck to keep the business going.” Dan also said, “Moving to Vista and working at the then Tastee Freez and getting involved in Vista provided the best upbringing for growing up a person could have had.”
Banker Cosh was also known for establishing the Boys’ Club. Dan’s Grandfather Carlos Ybarra encouraged Dan to join the Boy’s Club as a fourth grader. There were no girls in the club at that time, and no clubhouse. They met at the original Fire Station 1 on Indiana Street. Dan had a paper membership card. He was given an iron-on patch and was told his mother needed to buy a white t-shirt that she could sew the patch onto. The boys competed in basketball with other clubs in North County, but since they had no facility of their own, they were always a “Road Team.”
In 2013, Bret Schanzenbach, CEO of the Vista Chamber of Commerce, nominated Dan Villaseñor of the Pepper Tree Frosty for the Hispanic Business Man of the Year. Assemblyman Rocky Chavez presented the award. In 2015, Dan was the recipient of the prestigious Boys and Girls Club “John Cosh Leadership Award”. This award is given to a Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors of Foundation Trustee with exceptional dedication to club service. Dan joined the board in 2010 and was President at that time.
In 2023 the Boys and Girls Club at their 60th year celebration honored Dan with a Lifetime of Service, Club supporter and board member. This award is ongoing as a yearly award given to other parties in Dan’s name. On that night, he received many other awards from the State, county and local government officials. The City of Vista even named the Danny Villaseñor day! In 2023, Dan was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Vista Education Foundation.
For many people who have moved away from Vista, but returned to visit, Pepper Tree is one of the first places they visit. The success of Pepper Tree is squarely on the shoulders of Dan, his wife Linda, Richard, Joe and Daniel, for all their hard work and generations of employees, with their sons and daughters who have worked there. Dan at Pepper Tree and the Villaseñor family are major supporters of numerous Vista organizations, service clubs and active in the Vista community. In August, Pepper Tree has been open continuously for 70 years. Dan said he and his family embrace the community and love Vista!