Today we’d like to introduce you to Edward Leiva.
Hi Edward, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My family and I started about 11 years ago investing in real estate. We bought income units when the market was low and we started selling and buying throughout the years. A few years ago, we noticed residential properties were high and we started focusing on looking for commercial properties. We found 1 in the Hawthorne area that was a project it had a bar that was an eyesore for the community and the second unit was a tobacco shop. We agreed to buy it and evict the tenants and try to lease out the space to a better business to the neighborhood. During that process, I tried to lease the space with no serious takers or interested parties. We regrouped and refocused and found two partners that had experience with restaurant management and an executive chef. So I partnered with them to get the business started we had meetings figuring out the business name and concept and that’s how azucanela started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We had struggled during the Tenant improvement part of dealing with permitting and construction. We had originally thought the improvement was be a certain cost and during the middle of the project, it doubled but thankfully since we had experienced from the past we had reserve funds to be able to weather those types of issues. We opened our doors on November 2019 and then the pandemic struck in March 2020 which was a big blow but thankfully we are still in business and trying to operate during a pandemic that’s still not over.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Azucanela?
We are one of the first churrerías in the South Bay our business model based around or handmade churros. We offer a unique and bold decoration at our locations with a Latin influence. Before the pandemic, our focus was on offering a unique outdoor experience. We are proud that the majority of our products is made from scratch and made daily.
What matters most to you?
We are very big on customer service and giving our clients quality in our products. It matters to us because we are a minority-owned business and it’s very important to us to be able to showcase our traditions and foods in the Hughes quality possible.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.azucanela.com
- Instagram: @azucanelachurros
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/GRfpnBwfShb
