The building was designed by Frank Lansdowne, one of the premier architects of the region, and groundbreaking on it took place on July 7, 1928.

The Santora is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and its record number is 386426.

The restaurant was famous for its home cooked meals and pleasant atmosphere, and attracted a clientele that included Hollywood celebrities Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Billie Burke, Charles Ruggles, Connie Haines, Lucille Ball, Gracie Allen, George Burns, Joan Davis, Rosalind Russell, Robert Young, William Holden and Alan Ladd, all of whom signed the guest book.

[3] After a period of decline in Santa Ana's downtown the Santora resurged as an arts complex where a number of different artists moved in including Joseph Musil and his Salon of the Art Deco Theaters.

Musil was a set designer for the Walt Disney company and worked on the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.