Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda King-Macias.
Hi Brenda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
HotBox Burgers began out of a lack of adequate food options in our South Los Angeles community. One night my family was together and we wanted to get something to eat but there were nearly no good food options on any of the delivery service apps that would deliver to our community and that was the moment HotBox Burgers was born. HotBox Burgers first began as a food trailer on December 21, 2019. A year later, on December 21, 2020, we signed our lease to our very own brick & mortar location and officially opened on March 1, 2021.
Upon opening in 2019 all was well, however in March 2020 we struggled with the introduction of the COVID-19 pandemic which brought with it a moment of doubt of whether to close permanently. We however persevered and kept operating and servicing out community from the food trailer throughout the pandemic.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We again experienced our biggest challenge in 2021, when operating the restaurant, my brother, Miguel, unfortunately went missing on July 21, 2021. We continued to operate in his unfortunate absence and on August 14, 2021, we received the devastating news that his body was found and he was a victim of homicide. During my darkest days, the only thing that keep me going was my brother. I knew that he wouldn’t have wanted us to stop so we kept moving forward for him and I believed the only way my brother’s memory would be kept alive would be through HotBox burgers.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are a family-run and minority-owned business serving the South Los Angeles community. We specialize in handmade beef, turkey, and Impossible meat burgers, all of which are made daily. What distinguishes us is that we provide our community with affordable fresh quality food compared to the fast food franchises that have come to unfortunately dominate the area.
We are also proud to be able to give back, donating hundreds of meals every month to the houseless community. We not only want to be recognized for our fresh quality food but for what we do for the community, and hope to inspire others to do the same.
What’s next?
We plan on eventually expanding, establishing multiple HotBox Burger locations throughout Southern California. Throughout our planned expansion, we also will continue to give back to the homeless community in an effort to make a big impact in the lives of those suffering from homelessness…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Hotboxburgers.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hotboxburgersla?igshid=NzAzN2Q1NTE=
- Yelp: Hotboxburgers
