By Isaac Ceja
Jun 19, 2024, 01:16 AM EDT
After a fire destroyed his business in Boyle Heights in early June, José Pacheco, owner of Birria los Socios, is seeking funds to clean up the debris and rebuild his business from the ground up.
“This morning – Wednesday, June 5 – at 3 a.m., I arrived to find our life’s work, everything my family and I have put our heart and soul into, reduced to ashes by a devastating fire,” Pacheco wrote. on the GoFundMe website.
“Seeing our dreams and our hard-earned business engulfed in flames was beyond heartbreaking.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) arrived at the scene of the fire around 3:30 am where, they stressed, they found intense fire.
30 firefighters extinguished the flames in just 19 minutes and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Although it is unknown when the restaurant will open again in Boyle Heights, Pacheco still has a lunchbox in West Covina and another lunchbox in Cypress Park in Los Angeles.
According to Pacheco, Birria los Socios has been a family-owned and operated business since 2017.
In the early days of the business, Pacheco was a street vendor, then he managed to buy a lunch box and finally opened his physical business at the end of 2020.
Today Birria los Socios has almost 900,000 followers on Instagram and is recognized for its culinary innovations such as the “pachekin” burrito that is longer than the average arm.
The business also sells a variety of food such as tacos, burritos, tejuino, nachos, quesadillas, mulitas and more.
But Pacheco says the fire was just the latest setback for the business.
“Our path has been hindered by a series of robberies in Los Angeles, each one delaying us further than the last, causing immense financial and emotional strain,” Pacheco wrote.
According to a report earlier this year from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), commercial thefts have increased across the state and, in 2020, were reported more frequently than retail thefts.
The PPIC also found that commercial robberies increased on the Southern California coast, increasing 29% in Los Angeles and 54% in Orange County.
In an Instagram post where Pacheco asked for help, many people complained to the owner and asked if business insurance couldn’t cover the cost of the damage, but other people supported him and even one person from Australia donated money to help the business.
Although Pacheco has not responded directly to the comments, he shared an update on his GoFundMe web page and thanked those who donated.
“Your support has not gone unnoticed,” Pacheco wrote. “It has not only brought me financial relief but also emotional comfort, remembering the strength and compassion within our community.”
To help
If you like to support the reconstruction of the business you can visit the website: GoFundMe and write Rebuild our dream: support a family business from the ashes