#SpendLikeItMatters at these Latinx-owned businesses in LA and the greater Los Angeles area. Looking for a place to grab authentic Salvadorian food? Ever tried an Oaxacan mocha? Looking to pick up a plant that also gives back to the local Latinx community? This list has you covered. Check out these Latinx-owned Businesses in LA where you can eat, drink, and shop.
EAT
Pupusa at La Pupusa
#LatinxOwned #WomanOwned
In search of places in LA offering authentic Salvadoran food, siblings Stephanie Figueroa and Juan Serabia decided to take matters into their own hands. They opened La Pupusa Urban Eatery in 2018 with the goal of sharing the real face of their community and culture, serving traditional Salvadorian flavors from their childhood with an LA twist.
Enjoy a plate of their loaded yuca fries, topped with your choice of meat and chimol guacamole sauce, or bite into a delicious chorizo smashburger with chipotle mayo. Stephanie and Juan offer plenty of vegetarian and vegan substitutes, so no one feels left out!
Pro tip: Don’t forget to order a drink! Their refreshing Salvi horchata shake, made with traditional horchata and vanilla ice cream, is the perfect way to cool down on a hot afternoon.
A fresh dish at Milpa Grille.
#LatinxOwned #WomanOwned
At Milpa Grille, owner Deysi Serrano and her team pay homage to their Mesoamerican ancestors by featuring the three core ingredients that helped them sustain great civilizations: corn, squash, and beans. When you taste Milpa Grille, you savor history. Deysi’s culinary creativity allows her to reimagine traditional Mesoamerican food and share her vision with her community. Visit Milpa Grille to see just how delicious corn can be, and how many ways it can be prepared.
Check out Deysi Serrano’s list of Favorite Los Angeles Latinx-Owned Businesses.
#FamilyOwned #LatinxOwned #NativeOwned
Oaxacan-Lebanese fusion might sound a bit out of the norm, but the combination is the stuff of dreams. Growing up in a small Oaxacan town, brothers Felipe and Ignacio Santiago grew up speaking Zapotec, an indigenous Oaxacan language, and cooking traditional Oaxacan recipes. When the two moved to the United States, they faced discrimination and numerous obstacles — but they sought refuge working in restaurant kitchens. After working for years in a Lebanese restaurant, the brothers took what they learned about Middle Eastern cuisine and applied it to their native dishes. Now, locals frequent their restaurant, X’tiosu Kitchen, for the chicken shawarma tacos, chorizo kabobs, and nopalitos tabbouleh!
Fun fact: X’tiosu means “thank you” in Zapotec!
Tropicana Bakery and Cuban Café
#FamilyOwned #LatinxOwned
Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Cafe is Melvyn Madrazo Sr. and his family’s fourth restaurant. His restaurant, Los Pollos, is known for its signature rotisserie chicken marinated with Cuban and Mexican flavors that Los Angeles grew to love. Madrazo continues to serve the dish at Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Cafe and has expanded the menu to offer a large selection of classic Cuban dishes. Consider starting your day with eggs, rice, and plantains for breakfast, chowing down on a Cuban sandwich for lunch, and topping it off with a papaya pastry known as Pastelitos De Gubayaba for an extra treat.
Pro Tip: Tropicana Bakery & Cuban Cafe also offers colorful cakes for weddings, birthdays and other special occasions so keep them in mind for your next big event!
DRINK
#FamilyOwned #WomanOwned #LatinxOwned
Cafe Santo is a small yet mighty coffee shop located in Los Angeles that places an emphasis on Oaxacan culture and flavors. Marlon Gonzalez moved to the United States in 2010 and dreamt of opening a community space for self-expression. After Gonzalez become a certified barista, he and his wife, Pilar Casteñeda, quit their jobs and opened Cafe Santo in 2016. Casteñeda runs the visual side of the business through photography, video, and art. After a few years of success, Cafe Santo became well known and now frequently teams up with other Latinx community members and businesses to deliver tasty bites and delicious drinks.
Pro Tip: Try Cafe Santo’s signature Oaxacan mocha for a rich mixture of chocolate and coffee that you’ll continue to want to come back for.
#MinorityOwned #LatinxOwned
El Cielito Cafe shines a spotlight on Latin America with its focus on delicious coffee. Owner Daniel Olivares founded the café at just 21 after noticing a serious lack of representation within the coffee community. As his business grew, Daniel only sold beans directly sourced from farmers in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and other countries south of the U.S. border.
Today El Cielito offers a large menu consisting of lattes, teas, lemonades, and frappes. Daniel makes sure that customers are served quality coffee, while farmers get the pay, they deserve.
Pro tip: Try the MexiMatcha for a delicious blend of matcha, strawberries, and cream. Wondering about the drink’s name? The three colors put together look like the Mexican flag!
SHOP
#LGBTQOwned #LatinoOwned #MinorityOwned
In 2006 Felix Navarro left his successful corporate career to follow his passion of creating sustainable succulent arrangements by hand. With that passion he created The Juicy Leaf, a place where anyone can visit and instantly be transported to a lush, green paradise in the middle of the city. Felix and his team sell succulent arrangements, designer terrariums, manzanita sculpture, vintage furniture, and fine art. Each team member is encouraged to experiment and bring their own flair to The Juicy Leaf’s space, creating a truly unique and beautiful boutique.
#LatinxOwned #WomanOwned
Latinx With Plants began in 2019 as a way to highlight and uplift the Latinx community within the plant world. Founder Andi Xoch frequently posted to encourage the plant lifestyle, and make sure that the Latinx community was getting proper representation online. As the page gained traction, it grew into something much bigger. Realizing just how integral plant education was, Xoch began hosting pop-ups around the Los Angeles area to sell various plants and educate those about the ancestral importance of plants. Since then, she opened up a shop in Los Angeles in 2020 and has been teaming up with others in the community to battle injustices and reconnect with the earth.
Bonus: Check out the Latinx With Plants plant parenthood system, where you can gift someone a plant who is an avid planter or just getting started!
#WomanOwned #LatinxOwned
Owner Nicole Reyes discovered her passion for pottery in college where she realized that a creative career path could be possible. In 2017 she opened her own space in the Los Angeles community where she grew up. As a Hispanic artist and business owner, she created Cobalt and Clay with her community in mind so she offers more affordable memberships and workshops. Reyes believes that coming to her ceramic studio is a nice way to unplug from technology and create something special. Cobalt and Clay is also a very family-friendly studio that even offers kid’s classes and hosts parties.
Explore more Latinx-owned Businesses in LA on Intentionalist here.