Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural
Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural is a non-profit bookstore, art gallery and cultural space founded in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. According to its website, it is owned by Luis J. Rodriguez, his wife, Trini Rodriguez and their brother-in-law Enrique Sanchez. The store was named after Luis J. Rodriguez’s aunt, Maria de Jesus, who was known for being a wild and outspoken family member, always carrying a guitar, painting, dancing and writing poems. The business started out as a bookstore and cafe but quickly expanded into a safe space for anyone looking to express their cultural identity. After three relocations, it is now at 1267 Glenoaks Blvd, Sylmar CA 91342. Its Instagram handle is @tiachuchas.
Cipota Cafe
Cipota Cafe is a coffee shop on North Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles founded by Gardenia Rosales. She started Cipota Cafe as a passion project because Rosales grew up surrounded by coffee drinkers, as written on her website. Every morning when she was a girl, she helped her father brew the coffee for her family every morning in her hometown of Los Angeles. Ever since then, she sought out to try new coffees around her hometown. Her Salvadoran parents shared their love of coffee with her and she wants to share her love for coffee with anyone who loves or wants to try coffee. It’s located at 1822 N Broadway, Los Angeles CA 90031. Cipota Cafe can be found on Instagram @cipotacoffee.
The Beauty Lab
The Beauty Lab is a beauty shop in Sylmar owned by Jessica Abalos. She was born in Mexico and moved to Panorama City where she learned she had a passion for pampering and beautifying her friends and family. According to an article on her business from the Los Angeles Times, once she realized they all loved her styling, Abalos decided to study cosmetology. After perfecting her art at a hair salon in San Fernando, she started her business in her own garage. Five years later, Abalos opened her salon in Sylmar. She loves the feeling of making other people feel beautiful and seeing their smiles makes her feel whole. It is located at 15206 Roxford St, Sylmar, CA 91342, You can find her on Instagram @thebeautylab._.
The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture
In 2022, comedian and actor Cheech Marin opened The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture to show his collection of Chicano Art. Some of the artists include Yolanda Lopez and Judithe Hernandez, whose art work is shown throughout the museum. The museum is in collaboration with the Riverside Art Museum. The museum helps people explore the vast heritage of Chicano culture. The museum has also done educational shows like “Uncaged Perspectives,” which showed art work and dioramas of jail cells from formerly incarcerated youth, as described on their website. You can visit the museum at 3581 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside, CA 92501. Their Instagram handle is @thecheechcenter.
El Rincon Criollo
El Rincon Criollo is a Peruvian restaurant owned by senior Gabriella Urteaga’s parents Mary Galvez and Nestor Urteaga. They serve authentic Peruvian Creole dishes, often it’s seafood or Chifa, which is Chinese cuisine mixed with Peruvian cuisine. El Rincon Criollo is a family-owned and operated restaurant. After being passed down from a family friend in 2018, Galvez and Urteaga decided to manage the restaurant, according to Gabriella Urteaga. The restaurant is at 7605 White Oak Ave, Reseda, CA 91335. Their Instagram handle is @rinconcriollopg.
La Monarca Bakery & Cafe
Founded in 2006, La Monarca Bakery rose to fame with its traditional flavors and recipes from Mexico, where Ricardo Cervantes and Alfredo Livas grew up. They felt that most panaderias in Latino communities in Los Angeles weren’t good enough or were lacking a certain flavor and sweetness. After Livas and Cervantes graduated from Stanford University, they both decided to open a bakery and they opened La Monarca. They not only serve pan dulce but also Oaxacan fair-trade coffee, galletas and Mexican hot chocolate. They have different locations and the closest one to the San Fernando Valley is in Hollywood at 6091 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Their Instagram handle is @lamonarcabakery.
