Kids of Immigrants founder Daniel Buezo’s top L.A. Latino businesses - Los Angeles Times
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Danny Buezos from Kids of Immigrants
(Diana Ramirez/De Los; Photos by Diageo)

Kids of Immigrants founder Daniel Buezo’s 5 favorite Latino businesses in L.A.

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Co-founder and chief executive of the Los Angeles-based clothing brand Kids of Immigrants, Daniel Buezo takes pride in his Honduran heritage. A first-generation American with roots extending from San Pedro Sula on his mom’s side and Comayagua on his dad’s, the entrepreneur was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., before moving to the Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles a decade ago.

His company was inspired by living near the always-active street vendors of Macarthur Park, Buezo said, adding that he witnessed the same hustle culture in New York: immigrant families selling whatever they could to make a buck and give their kids a better life.

The CEO has always been passionate about fashion and worked retail through high school and college. In 2013, he met Weleh Dennis, who has worked at Louis Vuitton and later became co-founder of Kids of Immigrants.

“When he first mentioned the name ‘Kids of Immigrants,’ it just stuck. It was something that was true to who we were,” said Buezo, who grew up rocking brands like Nautica and Polo by Ralph Lauren. “These American heritage brands, we just felt like it didn’t represent who we were.”

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Through the years, Kids of Immigrants has formed multiple partnerships with companies such as Nike and Buchanan’s Whisky, the collaborator on their recent Family Reunion line that launched this summer.

We asked Daniel to share his five favorite Latino-owned businesses in Southern California. Here are his picks.

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La Maria Restaurant , 10516 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood,.
(Antonio Prado)

La Maria

North Hollywood Latin American Restaurant
La Maria Restaurant in North Hollywood speaks of its Colombian culture without saying a word. The vibrant yellow building with blue and red accent streaks let people know they’re in store for protein-packed bandeja paisa, cheesy arepas and flavorful steaming sancocho. Since 2003, La Maria has fused Colombian, Mexican and other Latin American flavors to build their broad and budget-friendly menu, with many dishes under $20. From American-classic breakfast items like fluffy buttermilk pancakes to seared carne asada plates and vegetarian tamales and tacos, the wide menu means no shortage of options for those looking to try something new.
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Rincon Hondureno owner and chef Blanca Perez, makes candinga at her Los Angeles eatery on W. Adams Blvd., in Los Angeles on Friday, April 28, 2023.
(Raul Roa/Los Angeles Times en Espanol)

Rincon Hondureño

Adams-Normandie Latin American Restaurant
Rincon Hondureño in the Adams-Normandie neighborhood of South L.A. combines three different ethnicities in its kitchen: Honduran, Salvadoran and Guatemalan. While the restaurant has stayed true to its Honduran roots, serving up baleadas and sopa de caracol, the flair of the two other Central American countries came when Blanca Perez and her late husband Adan Bonilla took over ownership 30 years ago. Blanca is from Guatemala and Adan from El Salvador. After many lunch dates at the establishment the couple decided to purchase Rincon Hondureño from the original owners. The handmade tortillas, fried plantains and made-to-order pupusas invite regulars like Daniel back with each mouthful.
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 Vilma Alvarado and her daughters (C) Cindy and (R) Wendy Alvarado pose for a portrait
(Silvia Razgova/For The Times)

Pasadena Roots

Pasadena Plant Shop
Pasadena Roots brings two worlds together: plants and coffee. Tending to plants is a hobby the Alvarado family leaned into during the early days of the pandemic. After manning table and tent pop-ups throughout the city and purchasing a cargo trailer that they termed “La Chula,” the Guatemalan and woman-owned business recently added a storefront to the mix. In addition to the Swiss Cheese Monsteras (Monstera adansonii), Snake Plants (Dracaena Trifasciata) and various breeds of Pothos that bring life and color to the shop, visitors can also sip on a horchata cold brew or super green juice from grab-and-go cart, La Chula Cafe.
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La Michoacana Boyle Heights Ice Cream Parlor, 2328 E Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA.
(Raul Roa/De Los)

La Michoacana Boyle Heights Ice Cream Parlor

Boyle Heights Ice Cream Shop
A staple in many Latinx neighborhoods, La Michoacana has something to satisfy the cravings of any savory or sweet-toothed Angeleno. Whether chamoy-coated cups of mango or Cheetos drowned in nacho cheese and jalapeños are what you gravitate towards, there’s more to the menu than the huge assortment of paletas and bolis that La Michoacana locations are known for.

The term “La Michoacana” is used by thousands of paleterias across the U.S and Mexico, many with different variations of the name, menu and logo. Regardless of ownership, the loosely associated network of paleterias have no shortage of unique chocolate-dipped and fruit filled paletas or overflowing cups of whipped-cream-topped fresas con crema.
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Royalty Cleaners,, 2253 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles.
(Carmen Bautista)

Royalty Cleaners

Pico-Union Dry Cleaning
This Latina- and Oaxacan-owned business has been creasing, pressing and dry cleaning in the Pico Union neighborhood for the last eight years, roughly the same amount of time Kids of Immigrants has been in business.

Owner Carmen Bautista and her daughter Melina are all about giving back to the community, donating to the local fridge on Pico Boulevard and Arapahoe Street and even holding food drives during the pandemic. With a five-star review on Google, this South L.A. dry cleaner offers affordable services with a proven track record.
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