Graciela de Holman

Holman began working in the restaurant business at a young age.^[1] She started her first restaurant around 1970 with 1000 colónes,^[2] and went on to open several gourmet restaurants in the country: Le Mar, Siete Mares, La Tablita, Chalet Suizo, and Chela's. During the Salvadoran Civil War, some of the restaurants were targeted in bombings, forcing her to rebuild.^[3] She eventually expanded to Guatemala and opened a U.S. location of Chela's in Miami.^[1]

In 1994, Holman was a founding member of the Tourism Committee for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador.^[2] To promote Salvadoran cuisine, which was not well known abroad, she co-organized the first International Gastronomic Festival of El Salvador in that year. This festival became an annual event, and helped grow domestic restaurant offerings.^[4][5] Holman continued as a member of the organizing committee for later offerings of the festival.^[6] She also served as President of the Tourism Committee.^[7]

Over the course of her career, Holman won 27 professional awards.^[3] She also received the "Golden Palm" Award, the highest award from the Chamber of Commerce, in 1997.^[2] She remained a member of the Advisory Committee for the Chamber in later years,^[8] and advised the Ministry of Tourism as late as March 2021.^[3]

Holman had eight children, twenty-one grandchildren, and twenty-eight great-grandchildren.^[3] She died on 19 March 2021 at the age of 90.^[1]