Olvera Street business home to famous 'El Burro' evicted
Bobby and Marcus Rodriguez don sombreros and serapes for a photo with Jorge, a stuffed burro that is a fixture on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. (Photo by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - The owners of La Carreta -- home to a beloved Olvera Street attraction known as "El Burro" -- are considering their options Friday after a Los Angeles commission voted to evict them despite a City Council attempt to save it.
The Board of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority Commissioners gave the owners of the restaurant a 30-day eviction notice Thursday. Richard Hernandez, owner of La Carreta, told City News Service he was devastated and will be considering his next steps.
The board discussed the Hernandez case in closed session, meaning their deliberation was not open to the public. El Pueblo General Manager Arturo Chavez declined to comment any further in a phone call with City News Service.
Hernandez told CNS he was anxious prior to the vote.
"I wasn't prepared for this -- the last three months have been just hell. Everything went out the window during COVID-19 and didn't come back the same," Hernandez said.
He explained that many businesses are still behind on rent. Hernandez criticized management for what he called a lack of effort to promote Olvera Street and help the businesses.
"This business means the world to my family and myself. I want to stick it out," Hernandez said. "At my age I don't want to work for Walmart or flipping burgers. My son is starting university and I have to pay his tuition. I won't be able to in the long run."
Hernandez said he had the community on his side, as well as his fellow merchants, the City Council and his council representative, Kevin de León, who represents the 14th District, which includes Olvera Street.
Hernandez claimed Chavez did not want to work out a deal with him and complicated his situation as he tried to resolve issues with the leasing contract sparked by the death of his mother in the spring.
Los Angeles, CA - May 05: On Cinco de Mayo day tourists and local school groups visit and shop on Olvera Street in El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument on Thursday, May 5, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Ima
"They don't seem to grasp that idea. They think they're safe, but a lot of businesses have stepped down and closed down because of the same actions that management wants to take," Hernandez said.
La Carreta was founded in the late 1960s by Jesus "Don Chuy" Hernandez and his wife Maria Trancito Hernandez. Visitors to La Carreta at the time could get photos with the family's pet donkey, Cirila. The burro was later replaced by a "Jorge," a life-sized stuffed burro.
The stuffed burro became a major attraction for El Pueblo, as people lined up to take photos.
In 2019, Maria Hernandez submitted paperwork to the city requesting to have her children, Patricia and Richard Hernandez, added to the lease contract -- but due to a clerical error, it never happened.
In June, the City Council -- led by de León -- asked the Board of El Pueblo to immediately consider the leasing agreement.
De León's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the board's action Thursday evening.
At the time of the council's action, de León said the council does not have jurisdiction to order the commission to review it, but the "right thing to do would be to review the case especially relative to the city's commitment to upholding the historic integrity of the historic location and the administrative process."
De León described El Pueblo as more than just a tourist destination. The councilman said it is the "beating heart of our city's history and culture."
El Pueblo, commonly referred to as Olvera Street, was founded in 1781. The complex is made up of 27 historic buildings, seven museums and home to about 75 merchants, who sell various traditional and cultural wares.