When asked if her father is easy to work with, Maria replied: “It’s a hard balance between the old school and the new school. Her father’s traditional ways were no match for Maria’s intelligence, charm, and energy. Seven years ago she became actively involved in the business. It was a very Mexican business the men ran it. “All of my brothers and cousins grew up working here, but the girls not so much. “We’ve always been a family business,” she explained. But first she had a major obstacle to overcome. She wanted to preserve its existing customer base while expanding its appeal to the residents of the Miracle Mile. And this is where Armando’s daughter, Maria Lopez, enters the picture.Ī graduate of Cal State Northridge with a major in International Business, Maria had a plan to realize the full potential of the popular nightspot. Several years ago the brothers went their seperate ways and Armando took ownership of the flagship La Brea Avenue club while Leonardo took possession of property across the street to develop a retail center. The Lopez brothers answered a demand that led them to expand to 12 Leonardo’s nightclubs from Downtown L.A. They named their establishment Leonardo’s and built a large clientele of working-class Mexican and Latin Americans seeking the live music, dancing, and food of their homeland. These relationships have been pivotal for us to grow and stay relevant.Thirty-seven years ago two brothers from Northern Mexico, Armando and Leonardo Lopez, opened their first nightclub in a former dance studio at 831 South La Brea Avenue. Along with our family, we are so fortunate to be part of a community composed of social leaders, event professionals and brands that stand for quality. They were brave enough to be the first in providing Live music entertainment for the Latinx community in Los Angeles with the goal of preserving our culture. We owe our family business’ success to our Father and his brothers that came before us. We have rooftops like Perch in downtown, EPLP in Miracle Mile and others but the coast that shows off our beautiful sunsets, Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. The culinary scene is on of a kind- multi cultural, distinct and high quality. We have beaches like Malibu with canyons and hikes, we have trails in the Hollywood Hills (Runyon and Griffith Park), and mountains a drive away. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. We are inspired daily by the stories of our clients turned friends and take them into consideration when creating unique experiences. Our restaurant and venue is more than a space to celebrate it is a space for the community and for supporting non-profits that make a difference. Making tough decisions and pushing boundaries to get uncomfortable for the sake of growing. The reality of making it happen includes saying yes to clients, opportunities and ideas that seem wild. There are many challenges you face once you have made the decision to take risks. We planned extensively, hired the right team, and heard what our neighbors’ needs were.Ĭan you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others? However, we met this risk with preparation. Like any business and especially being a family business, we faced financial risks and of course some heavy emotions throughout the process too. We were without a doubt sure the risk would be worth it, as gentrification was at our door and our community’s demographics had shifted. After 35 years of running our family business as a salsa/regional Mexican nightclub to a full service venue an event space which includes catering for corporate and social events. We especially found this out in our rebranding process. We are completely convinced that with every change comes great risk. Since an early age we have witnessed their passion while they instilled their entrepreneurial spirit. Our parent’s sacrifice and risk taking by immigrating, is at the core of who we are as a family and business. Hi Maria & Omar, what role has risk played in your life or career?Īs fortunate children of Mexican parents, we have seen how risk taking has allowed for our generation to enjoy many advantages. We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria & Omar Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.
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