How East Los Tacos Helped Save a Piece of LA History

What started as a family taco business over 30 years ago has grown into one of East Los Angeles' favorite community gathering spots. I sit down with Erica Armenta, co-founder of East Los Tacos, to hear the incredible story behind the business. We talk about their journey from a food truck in 2017 to opening their brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2021, the importance of serving the East LA community, and what makes their handmade tortillas, tacos, and burritos stand out. We also discuss how East Los Tacos helped preserve a piece of Los Angeles restaurant history by bringing former Original Pantry Cafe employees into the fold and creating East Los Pantry, where guests can still enjoy many classic Pantry breakfast favorites. Plus, Erica shares details about their upcoming second location in Boyle Heights, the challenges of running a family business, and why supporting employees and the local community remains at the heart of everything they do. If you enjoy hearing the stories behind local businesses, restaurants, and the people who make our communities special, be sure to like, subscribe, and follow along for more interviews. 📍 East Los Tacos – East Los Angeles, CA 4500 E Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA #EastLosTacos #EastLA #LosAngelesFood #OriginalPantry #SmallBusiness #RestaurantOwner #FoodTruck #BoyleHeights #Foodie #JasonBackstage Follow Me On: Instagram:   / jason.backstage   TikTok:   / jasonbackstage   Enjoyed the video? Help support more food finds and local stories by buying me a coffee here ☕️: https://buymeacoffee.com/jasonbackstage I’m Jason Lau, a former small business owner who loves connecting with other small business owners. Join me backstage as I explore great food, travel adventures, whiskey, coffee culture, sports, comics, and other cool finds. I'm exploring it all so you know where to go next. • Full experiences • Backstage interviews • Honest reviews & recommendations • Shorts for IG, TikTok & YouTube Want to collaborate or set up an interview? Reach me at [email protected] Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:13 Meet Erika Armenta 0:32 Started with Father-In-Law 1:11 Food Truck / Building 1:38 New Location in Boyle Heights 2:21 Pantry Closing 4:07 Fresh Ingredients 4:28 Keto Menu 4:53 Recommended Items 5:19 The Community of East LA 6:09 Feel at Home 6:38 Look and Logo 7:10 Importance of the Staff 8:08 Challenges and Advice 8:49 Jason's Food Review 10:17 Conclusion #JasonBackstage #BusinessInterviews #LocalBusinesses #HiddenGems #RealPeopleRealStories #EastLosTacos #EastLA #EastLosAngeles #BoyleHeights #LosAngelesFood #LAFoodie #LAEats #Tacos #TacoLover #MexicanFood #Foodie #FoodReview #FoodVlog #RestaurantReview #OriginalPantry #ThePantry #SupportLocalBusiness #SmallBusiness #FamilyBusiness #RestaurantOwner #Entrepreneur #CommunityFirst #EastLAFood #LosAngelesRestaurants #CaliforniaFood #HiddenGemsLA #FoodAdventure #RestaurantStory #BehindTheBusiness #JasonBackstage