Family who immigrated from Mexico opens 5th restaurant in Inglewood

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Esaul and Gloria Martin said when their families immigrated to the United States in the early 1970s from Mexico they had nothing.

"We were from Mexico," said Gloria Martin. "And in Mexico, like other countries, when you come here, you look for an opportunity."

After meeting in the '80s and dating for a while, Esaul and Gloria got married. Today, they along with their five children, own and operate five businesses around Inglewood.

And this Hispanic Heritage Month, they're celebrating the opening of their latest restaurant, Martin's Cocina y Cantina.

"We feel very blessed because we started with one restaurant and the community has been supporting us ever since we opened our doors," Gloria Martin said. "And as the city grows, we've been growing with the city."

The Martin family opened their first business in Inglewood in 2009. Over ten years later and five more businesses, they said they're most proud of their family.

"Coming from parents who immigrated here with nothing from Mexico for a better opportunity," said Esaul Martin Jr., co-owner of Martin's Cocina y Cantina. "And being able to run a business with your own family, I think is the most important thing."

"This is a family that immigrated from Mexico. They came and they struggled," said Alex Padilla, an Inglewood councilmember. "But they persevered and they are a huge success because they believed in themselves and the American dream."

As residents of Inglewood and also business owners in Inglewood, the Martin family take a lot of pride in their city and credit the community for all their success over the years, including getting through recessions and most recently a pandemic.

"We opened the doors [to] our first restaurant, we would stand outside and we sell tacos out there just to get people to come in," said Christian Martin, a co-owner of Martin's Cocina and Cantina. "And to be able to evolve into something like this is really a testament to our community."

Martin's Cocina y Cantina is located at 162 N. La Brea Ave, Inglewood, CA 90301.

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