Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Alfonzo
Hi Tara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hospitality isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. With over 70 years of combined experience in the service industry, our journey has always been centered around caring for others, whether during life’s most challenging moments or its most joyous celebrations.
Our story began with a deep-rooted passion for service, a creative entrepreneurial spirit, and a heart for making people feel at home. What started as a simple commitment to serve well has since blossomed into a family-run hospitality business where every detail is infused with intentionality, warmth, and genuine care.
For us, hospitality is more than providing a place to stay—it’s about creating an experience where guests feel valued, seen, and truly welcomed. Whether it’s sharing a home-cooked meal, exchanging stories over coffee, or helping guests celebrate life’s milestones, our goal has always been to foster connection and belonging.
Today, we continue to build on that foundation, ensuring that every guest who walks through our doors experiences the charm, comfort, and heartfelt hospitality that defines who we are.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to building our hospitality business has been anything but smooth, but every challenge has strengthened our vision and refined our approach. One of our biggest struggles has been assembling a team that truly embraces and carries out our commitment to intentional hospitality. Creating a seamless and memorable guest experience starts with the right people, and finding a cleaning team that understands the level of care and detail we expect has been a critical, yet challenging, part of that process.
Beyond the operational side, balancing the many facets of our lives has been a continuous challenge. Between our high-level day jobs, our hospitality business, our marriage, raising our beautiful daughters, and staying rooted in our intentional walk with our Lord Jesus Christ, life often feels like a sprint. The real challenge is making margin—carving out the time and mental space to step back, make big-picture decisions, and ensure we’re leading our family and our business with intentional purpose.
Despite these challenges, our commitment to serving others with excellence remains unwavering. Every obstacle has pushed us to grow, adapt, and refine our processes so that we can continue to create meaningful experiences for our guests while staying true to our values and our calling.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Our work is centered around people—serving them in their hardest moments and celebrating with them in their most cherished ones. By day, I serve as a Deputy Coroner, where I walk alongside grieving families as they navigate the worst day of their lives. My role is physically demanding, mentally taxing, and emotionally heavy, but it is also a calling that allows me to provide intentional care, comfort, and dignity to those in need. I collaborate daily with doctors, medical staff, law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, and other agencies to ensure each case is handled with precision and compassion.
At my core, I am a humble servant, and that same heart for people carries into the hospitality business my husband and I have built together. We specialize in intentional hospitality—creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and welcomed. Whether it’s opening up our home to host friends and family or curating unforgettable stays for our guests at the Rustic Barnyard, we take pride in the lasting relationships we’ve built over the years.
What sets us apart is the depth of care we pour into everything we do. Hospitality isn’t just a business for us; it’s our way of life. We are deeply honored to create a space where guests don’t just stay—they belong. At the end of the day, we feel incredibly blessed to be relationally wealthy, thanks to God, and we look forward to continuing to serve and build meaningful connections through every guest we welcome.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to us is simple:
God comes first – He is our foundation and the reason we serve with purpose and love.
My spouse – Our marriage is a covenant, and we prioritize growing together in faith and partnership.
My kids – Raising them with love, intention, and strong values is one of our greatest callings.
People – We are servant leaders, called to care for others with humility and intentionality.
We don’t take this responsibility lightly or for granted. Every day, we strive to live out our faith by serving those around us with excellence, kindness, and a heart for others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rusticbarnyard.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rusticbarnyard.txhc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rusticbarnyard.txhc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rusticbarnyard-txhc
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rustic-barnyard-san-marcos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ru
