Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Lamas.
Jose, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started working at El Sombrero in 1981, washing dishes, I had just turned 26. My father already worked at Elsom so he helped me get the job. Little by little I started to move up, into the kitchen, as a cook and also in the front of the restaurant as a bus boy. I soon realized I really enjoyed working and interacting with people. I love working with customers; there is no better joy than serving someone. I worked as a waiter until 2005, which was when the previous owner and founder of Elsom decided to sell the restaurant. I was very grateful to him for offering me the opportunity to purchase the restaurant before he put the restaurant up in the open market. It was the greatest purchase of my life.
In 2006, a fire destroyed the old building and we were shut down 3 years, until 2009. During that period, we received great support from the whole Manhattan Beach community. The people are what keep this place running, they are the blood of this business. I am 61 now and I am happy to still be serving the community and every guest that walks through our doors. This is their home.
Great, 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?
There has definitely been struggle, the biggest of which was the fire from 2006. It was very hard to recover from such a devastating event. It took longer than planned and cost more than anticipated. The hope to reopen and the support from our customers was what helped me keep going through this difficult time. Additionally, once we reopen, it wasn’t smooth at all; we had lost touch with many customers. We focused on being good at what we do, which is building relationships. It took time, but eventually our customers started coming back. Now we have built a great deal of more relationships with new customers and have maintained the relationship with our faithful clients form the past. Both the old and new customers are all part of the history of this place.
El Sombrero #1 – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I believe that what we do best and what we specialize in is people. We are good at serving others. We always try to delight our customers with a great smile and greet them with a handshake as soon as they walk through our doors. We build relationships with all of our customers. Our hospitality extends to our regulars and any visitors alike. Here, we like to treat you like family, and I think that is what sets us apart from others; it is that we have an interest in getting to know you and pleasing you. We are a small family owned business with a big heart. Big businesses have big money; small businesses have a big heart. We like to pair our awesome customer service with great food. More than in the food business we like to see ourselves in the people business.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think the proudest moment of my career has been watching kids grow up before my eyes and then seeing them come back with their own children.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1005 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
- Website: elsommanhattan.com
- Phone: 310-706-7730
- Instagram: elsombrero_1
- Facebook: El Sombrero 1
- Twitter: ElSom1CA
- Yelp: El Sombrero Restaurant #1
