HOW LA EATS 2
How LA Eats was born in early 2020 during the pandemic to support our favorite minority-owned small restaurants in LA. It was our way to give back to a community of immigrants that has made Los Angeles the greatest eating city in the world.
In its inaugural launch this past March, Finery partnered with Earle’s on Crenshaw, Mariscos Jalisco, Newport Seafood, Otafuku, Park’s BBQ, and Roy Choi/Kogi BBQ, and raised enough money to feed over 250 families through our friends at No Us Without You.
We’re back again with 5 new family-owned, minority-run restaurants in LA. One has been doing it for over 80 years. Another just celebrated its 1 year anniversary. But what ties them all together is their immigrant roots as entrepreneurs of color who have dedicated their lives to feeding the people of LA.
And just like last time, we’re designing custom aprons for each restaurant and selling them to raise money to feed disenfranchised families displaced by the pandemic- dishwashers, bussers, bar backs, line and prep cooks who form the backbone of our restaurant industry.
Back in 1994, in its original Eighth Street storefront, Fernando Lopez opened up one of the few restaurants to specialize in Oaxacan cuisine. Almost 30 years later, the Lopez siblings Paulina, Bricia, & Fernando are continuing this tradition of elevating Oaxaca to the highest levels and being proud of their Indigenous roots.
Hawkins House of Burgers started 82 years ago as little more than a food stand by James Henry Hawkins who came to LA from Arkansas in 1939. Since then, Cynthia Hawkins has helmed this venerable Watts institution serving some of the best burgers in the city.
Since 1960 the Fujita family of Gardena has been hand-crafting the best mochi in the country. After taking over for their parents who started the business, brothers Kaz & Yuki get up before sunrise to make a variety of mochi and manju fresh every day. And when they sell out, that’s it for the day. The Fujita brothers are upholding an age-old confectionary tradition that only a handful in the U.S. are continuing.
Having bravely opened during the pandemic, hanchic is flipping what Korean food is in K-Town. According to the 3 friends who opened up hanchic in a nondescript strip mall just over a year ago, they approach traditional Korean ingredients as a jumping off point for global reinterpretations. For a city that doesn’t necessarily love fusion, hanchic could be changing all that.
Only 2 years old- a newcomer by any standards, but especially in the food-rich neighborhood of San Gabriel Valley- Yang’s Kitchen has become a destination for delicious food with a conscience. Serving up local, sustainable, and organic, Yang’s Kitchen is redefining Chinese cooking in the SGV.
This LA-based 501c3 org provides food relief to over 1,600 families, most of whom are disenfranchised hospitality workers affected by the pandemic. Every week, they provide pantry essentials and fresh produce to back-of-house staff such as dishwashers, line and prep cooks, the backbone of the restaurant industry. Your donation of just $33 feeds a family of 4 for one week.