Guelaguetza Restaurante

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 Guelaguetza Restaurante 

3014 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006





Guelaguetza Restaurante is one of the first ever Oaxacan restaurants in Los Angeles. During a rough economical time in Mexico, Fernando Lopez came to the United States, leaving his family in Oaxaca for a year before bringing them too. He opened Guelaguetza on 8th Street and Normandie in 1994 and found success with it. He opened it with the intention of giving Oaxaqueños away from home an authentic taste of their traditional dishes. Guelaguetza became so successful that Lopez moved to a larger location and his restaurant is now located on Olympic Blvd in Koreatown. 

Lopez went on to open six other restaurants, but eventually closed them all except Guelaguetza because of the 2008 economic recession. The only reason why Guelaguetza remained opened was because Bricia, Paulina and Fernando Jr. Lopez all pitched in to buy their father's restaurant and save it amidst the recession. 

From then, the success of the restaurant has grown even more. In 2015, the restaurant won the James Beard Classics Award , a very prestigious restaurant award, making it the first traditional Mexican restaurant award to do so. The press surrounding the restaurant has grown immensely and Guelaguezta is one of the most prominent Mexican/Oaxacan restaurants in Los Angeles. Fernando Lopez has since retired and now resides back in his Oaxacan hometown. 

In an interview for the Library Foundation of L.A., Bricia Lopez touches on the importance and significance of her father's restaurant. 

"I always think about the kids of immigrants that aren't able to go back to Oaxaca or kids that were born here and did not grow up with the flavors I grew up with. For me its very important that generation is educated and knows about literally their food culture back there and the rest of the culture Oaxaca has for them."

https://vimeo.com/130594079

What she says is so something so critical to the Mexican-American experience. Guegleguetza is not only a success story of Oaxacan culture preserving but it also significant because it ties two cultures together. 



Visit ilovemole.com for Guelaguetza menu, products and press. 

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