Honduran sisters Lisa and Nicole Guzmán had been selling food from their home for several years, until in December they were presented with the opportunity to open their own restaurant and pupuseria in Canoga Park, a neighborhood north of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.
“We put The Cipotas (The Girls) because in El Salvador and Honduras that is what it is customary to call children,” says Nicole.
With this original name that the sisters chose for their restaurant, they want to create a brand.
And they decided to specialize in the food they know how to prepare best, Honduran and Salvadoran.
Lisa and Nicole are single mothers. Nicole is 27 years old, she is the mother of two children, one six years old and the other 11 months old; and Lisa is 31 years old, and has a seven-year-old daughter.
Lisa was born in Sylmar, California, but at age six her parents took her to Honduras.
“I returned to the United States at age 15 in search of economic opportunities. Then I brought my mother, and when my father died, the brothers came. Now we are all here,” says Lisa.
Nicole was born in Honduras, but emigrated to Los Angeles seven years ago. She was pregnant with her first child, who is now six years old.
“We are from a small town in Honduras called Olanchito Yoro. It is known as the civic city,” says Nicole.
The Honduran food business is something both sisters are familiar with, because they had been selling it from their home for years.
“We added Salvadoran food because I was working in a Salvadoran restaurant, and that’s where I learned,” says Lisa.
When they were unexpectedly offered the transfer of a location in Canoga Park, they didn’t think much about it.
“We weren’t looking, but it was a good opportunity, and we said why not try. We took out our savings and decided to take a risk. It has been difficult because we are just starting,” the sisters agree.
Although they live in the south of Los Angeles, and the location they rented is in Canoga Park and is almost an hour’s drive away, they share that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity because they were offered a good price for the location.
“We started handing out flyers advertising our restaurant and pupusería The Cipotasand we discovered that there are a lot of Salvadorans and Hondurans in Canoga Park,” says Nicole.
The sisters comment that their menu is small, but they have the essentials of traditional Salvadoran and Honduran food.
“We have pupusas, chicken with slices, katrachas, baleadas, beef soup, chicken soup, 7 Mares broth, yuca with chicharrón and Salvadoran and Honduran breakfasts.”
He says his dream is that The Cipotas in Canoga Park is the first of many other restaurants.
“The truth is that people ask for everything and have responded very well. They are liking the food. Customers bring us new customers,” says Lisa.
The sisters say that although they have a cook, they do everything, they cook and wait tables, while the rest of the family helps them with errands.
Lisa also works as a caregiver for people at home.
“If you want to live here, you can’t survive on one income; “one sacrifices family and children to give them a better life.”
The Cipotas They are located at 7300 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, local 7. Canoga Park, 91303.
You can call to place your orders at 818-912-6411.
You can follow them on their Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok accounts as The Cipotas.
They are open every day: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 9 pm; Saturday and Sunday, from 8 am to 9 pm.
“It is very tiring to run a restaurant, but at the same time it is very motivating because we are working for ourselves. We put effort into every detail. Hopefully one day we can grow and open another restaurant,” says Lisa.
They shared that they never felt afraid to launch their own restaurant because they have always liked business.
“We are doing very well, we cannot complain. We get a lot of requests for tacos dorados, pupusas, baleadas, soups, yucca with chicharrón, bread with chicken, everything is sold. So we invite you to visit us and try our Salvadoran and Honduran food.”