Churrería El Moro, Mexico City’s most famous churro shop, opened its first store in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 29.
The new churrería is located in the Echo Park neighborhood, a busy and trendy area northwest of Downtown L.A.
The Echo Park outpost is the brand’s second in Southern California, following the success of its location in Costa Mesa, Orange County.
Set on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Laveta Terrace, the churreria features a clean, modern look with a creamy white exterior, colorful artwork, outdoor dining and its signature blue neon signage. The venue was designed by notable international Mexican designer and architect Nacho Cadena, founder of Cadena Concept Design.
El Moro, known for its churros and growing selection of hot chocolates, was founded nearly a century ago in Mexico City by Francisco Iriarte, a man who immigrated from Navarra, Spain, in 1933. After noticing there were no churro vendors in the capital, he opened up a churro stall, where he also sold hot chocolate.
Iriarte named his business “El Moro” in honor of the nickname given to churro vendors at festivals and fairs in Spain.
Since then, the small eatery has grown to become an icon in the capital.
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The company’s CEO Santiago Iriarte and grandson of the founder, said that opening a branch in Los Angeles was a natural decision, as “it’s the closest to Mexico that will ever be.”
He shared that the positive response to El Moro’s first location in Costa Mesa motivated the brand to open a second branch in California.
“After that first step in Mercado Gonzalez, we were confident that our brand and experience could be shared by a lot of people in Echo Park as well,” he told Eater magazine.
Iriarte explained that the choice to open in Echo Park also responded to the large Latino community in the neighborhood, some of whom might be familiar with El Moro from trips to Mexico City.
After Los Angeles, Iriarte is looking to expand to other locations in the U.S., potentially Texas and Nevada, to bring the Mexican community the taste of their sugar-coated heritage.
“We’re searching for our core nostalgic customer,” Iriarte said.
