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Georgia 10/24/2010 12:40:00 AM
Lonchera article in OC
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adriana 09/05/2010 8:26:00 AM
Got some details for your article that just found. Back in the late 70's an Armenian from Los Angeles area came to OC looking for business. He already owned a Commissary in LA County. That place is called Charlies Foods. First commissary in Santa Ana and the reason why all these vending trucks are still part of the cultural tradition of eating on the go. And there are 5 not six licensed catering houses in the county.
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UofSC93 08/21/2009 3:30:00 AM
Absolutely awesome article - my old man was a lonchero who was able to move us out of the gutters of East LA to a new track home in Fullerton. As far as graduating to a real restaurant CHS, my old man just kept buying more trucks and routes and leasing them out to new loncheros. He cut out when the business got hyper violent and corrupt - loncheros beating each other down over routes, bigger bribes to factory foreman etc. not too mention getting up at 3AM and coming home after 6PM six days a week.
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nonoboy 08/13/2009 2:14:00 AM
So is the gentrification of loncheros by these young hipsters a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, that kogi truck is interesting because Korea also has a long cultural tradition of street vendors. But you can't help to see a disturbing trend. What does it mean when Newport Beach bourgeois cupcakes that sell for $3.50 a piece(!) are available in the lunch truck format? Will authentic mom-and-pop taco trucks be swept away similar to the way Starbucks and Subway have obliterated the neighborhood coffee and deli shop?
(Hey Gustavo, I got an idea! Let's model the neighborhood vegetable trucks and start selling super expensive Bristol Farms organic vegetables in Newport Beach and Nellie Gail! We could make a killing!)
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STARVING 08/06/2009 11:00:00 AM
Where and when can do these taco trucks set up shop? I constantly find them in LA thanks to DailyTaco.org and his original blog http://tacohunt.blogspot.com/.
I'm starving now. I want to know where the best Carne Asada burrito is.
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Bitter Almonds 08/02/2009 11:45:00 AM
Santa Ana is a ghetto and these street vendors don't help at all (much less pay any taxes back to the city). The plans to renovate downtown Santa Ana is long overdue. Something needs to be done to finally clean up the street vendor trash.
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CHS 07/31/2009 6:29:00 AM
Candy, you live in SanTana. What do you expect? Your complaint is like the complaint that all of the neighbors in Victorville are tweakers.
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Candy 07/30/2009 8:57:00 AM
As someone who lives where a lonchero is parked directly in front of my building, the truck blocks my vision everytime I pull out the driveway, takes up 2 parking spots (where there is very little parking to begin), has the only shady spot and people who make purchases have ruined the grass. As well as the trck there are constant people outside selling tamales, ice cream, rugs, bedding, fruit and JESUS. It's just TOO MUCH!!!!!
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Danny 07/30/2009 2:26:00 AM
"Too many trucks out there, especially in Santa Ana. This issue has nothing to with racism but has a lot to do with safety, economics and decency. No one is claiming these legitimate owners do not work hard, but many do not abide by city regulations."
Well then why not focus on prosecuting these already-existing laws instead of creating new ones that don't do anything to curb the problems?
"Not to mention a restaurant owner can not compete with Roach Coach pricing because of the greater overhead cost associated with owning a sit-down location."
Really? You really believe that nobody can compete with them? How do any other businesses survive then, after all? Besides, if it really were the case that "brick-and-mortar" restaurants could compete, they could always innovate or match the "Roach Coaches", couldn't they? If a business doesn't want to innovate to meet demand, it's their own damn fault.
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eric 07/30/2009 2:03:00 AM
Too many trucks out there, especially in Santa Ana. This issue has nothing to with racism but has a lot to do with safety, economics and decency. No one is claiming these legitimate owners do not work hard, but many do not abide by city regulations. Not to mention a restaurant owner can not compete with Roach Coach pricing because of the greater overhead cost associated with owning a sit-down location. cholos could also give a crap if the person they are shaking down is Latino or not, but as you wrote, it is about who you know. Restaurant owners also endure the shake downs, but in their case they can not simply drive the restaurant to a new location.
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Danny 07/30/2009 12:50:00 AM
Terrible article. It only affected me insomuch as making me wish we had a lonchero come to my place of business at lunch time as well as making me want Mexican food real bad (and my wife gave me a microwaveable pot-pie for lunch :-( ).
Damn you Gustavo!
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DonJose 07/29/2009 11:13:00 PM
Awesome article Gustavo, read it twice: in print and online. I really liked reading how the new and old generation loncheros are getting together to renew the perception people have of these businesses. Frankly, I think this is the way to go, you've seen mobile pet groomers, window tinters, mobile just about anything! People like having things come to them, lets face it. I hope this gets the message out to anyone who wants to start a business like this that there's a process with city and county offices, just to protect everyone involved.
BTW Gustavo, the 53rd and 6th Halal Cart in Manhattan, perfect example. If you haven't already you need to get some of their food. Good stuff, totally reminded me of eating form a lonchera, only at 4am.
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Gustavo Arellano 07/29/2009 7:52:00 PM
VC and Anon: Gracias!
Eddie: You're thinking of illegal street vendors; these guys need to apply for business licenses and the like.
Ralph: Weak rationale. Consumers decide where they want to eat in this country, whether it's Five Crowns or Alebrije's.
CHS: Some do, or have aspirations to. Others find the living good as a lonchero. All I care about is good food.
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CHS 07/29/2009 1:05:00 AM
Gustavo, I see these taco trucks as a first step to owning an established, brick-and-mortar restaurant. Is my view correct? Do any of these vendors "graduate" from the taco truck to restaurant ownership?
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Ralph 07/29/2009 12:14:00 AM
Absolutely hate these folks. They steel monel from brick-n-morter businesses. These trucks are not cheap, why dont they just open a real business, then offer delivery. They are barely a step above pushing carts and should be outlawed.
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eddie 07/28/2009 11:10:00 PM
u left out that this is a cash and carry business and they dont pay TAXES on more than half of the food they sell.
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Anonymous 07/28/2009 2:40:00 AM
LMAO! Good one Gustavo!
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VC 07/27/2009 12:08:00 AM
Great Article! Keep up the good work Gustavo, I always look forward to your articles.
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Gustavo Arellano 07/25/2009 4:54:00 PM
Jojo: Stop by our offices, where I have a burrito of Montezuma's revenge waiting just for you!
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jojo 07/25/2009 5:38:00 AM
still peddling your taco truck of racism arellano?
If i thought you had enough "pride" to actually live IN MEXICO i'd send you bus fare....no TRUNK fare pendejo.
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vicioso 07/25/2009 5:17:00 AM
donde queda tu pueblo?tengo ganas de 4 tacos de asada y un ocho de perico pa llevar y como se llama la lonchera pa ir?
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ya basta 07/25/2009 1:04:00 AM
En mi pueblo los loncheros venden la coca tambien. Son malcriados y sinaloenses.
