The Gulf Coast Chamber has named Rocio Miranda-Garcia of De Soto’s Seafood Kitchen its Island Spirit Award winner for June 2026, recognizing a Gulf Shores restaurant worker whose colleagues and customers describe as a steady source of warmth on even the toughest days.
The Island Spirit Award, presented by sponsor Bluewater Exteriors, is one of the Gulf Coast Chamber’s longest-running recognition programs. It is built specifically around honoring non-management workers across Coastal Alabama, employees and others who interact directly with the public but rarely receive formal recognition for it. Nominations can come from anyone who has experienced that person’s service firsthand, whether a regular customer, a coworker or simply someone who encountered them while enjoying the area.
Miranda-Garcia’s nomination centered on the consistency of her service at De Soto’s Seafood Kitchen, where she has built a reputation for making customers feel like guests rather than diners passing through. An excerpt from her nomination letter read, “Rocio is an exceptional person who goes above and beyond every single day. She shows up consistently, works hard, and has a true gift for making her customers feel like guests rather than just customers — that personal touch is something people remember and come back for.”
The nomination also highlighted a chapter of Miranda-Garcia’s life that had nothing to do with her job: her fight against thyroid cancer. She is now in remission, according to her nominator, who described her return to work as seamless despite the toll the illness likely took. “What makes her even more remarkable is her resilience. Rocio battled thyroid cancer and beat it — she’s now in remission — and through it all, she never lost her smile or her positive attitude,” the letter continued. “She comes back to work every day with the same warmth and good spirit she’s always had, even on a cloudy day.”
As this cycle’s winner, Miranda-Garcia received a cash prize courtesy of Bluewater Exteriors, along with flowers, a custom lapel pin and a keepsake plaque. A Specialty Bakery contributed treats as part of the recognition package, a detail that reflects how many local businesses take part in celebrating each honoree alongside the chamber itself.
The Gulf Coast Chamber continues to accept nominations for future Island Spirit Award recipients on a rolling basis. Anyone who has experienced exceptional service from a non-management worker in Coastal Alabama, whether at a restaurant, retail shop or elsewhere, can submit a nomination through the chamber’s website. For a program built around recognizing the people who rarely get top billing, Miranda-Garcia’s selection is a reminder of how much day-to-day hospitality work shapes visitors’ and residents’ experience of the Gulf Coast.