Profile | El Pollo Grill
Hispanic Lifestyle is pleased to recognize El Pollo Grill as a company that has Survived & Thrived. They will be recognized at Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2017 Southern California Business Expo and Conference on May 31, 2017 at the Ontario Airport Hotel, Ontario, California.
Background
In 1987, Rafael and Constanza Lopez took over a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant located in the heart of the historic Lemon Grove area named Pollo Charro. The signature dish was marinated open-flame broiled chicken. Opened in 1987 by Rafael and Constanza Lopez, El Pollo Grill is a family-owned restaurant and catering company located in Lemon Grove, CA. They started catering in 1987.
Rafael and Constanza slowly started converting the menu to recipes that have been in the Lopez and Garcia families for generations. Within five years they renamed the restaurant El Pollo Grill.
In 2002, after the death of our father (2000), Rafael, and having outgrown our small location, El Pollo Grill along with our Catering services called “The Grill Catering” moved to the revitalized downtown area of Lemon Grove to a location with a larger dining area, an expanded kitchen and parking. With this move came rave reviews from ABC Channel 10, San Diego Union-Tribune, KUSI news and San Diego anchorman Jack White.
With this new location, local businesses, small and large, began calling us to cater food for their events. Soon, word of mouth opened the opportunity for The Grill Catering to serve all of San Diego.
Thinking outside the “tortilla”, we expanded our catering menu to include other cuisines including Italian, BBQ, fresh fish of the day and breakfast. In addition to catering for our current customers, we currently deliver to businesses, small and large, including Toyota, Cox, IDEA Fitness, Honda, Coca-Cola, Astrazeneca, Mount Miguel High School, to name a few.
In 2016 we opened a much requested new location in Bonita, CA to best serve our south bay clientele. The Bonita location is run by a member of our family, using the same recipes our customers know and love.
Their Nomination submitted by Josie Vargas, RDH Community Health Educator
As one of the children of Rafael and Constanza Lopez, I can tell you first hand why their business deserves to be nominated for this recognition. My parents are the hardest working people I’ve ever I known. They came from humble beginnings and have taught all five of us that nothing comes easy in life unless you put the work in. My parents are both immigrants and never let language and cultural barriers get in their way of their American dream. They raised us children to be proud of who we are and where we came from. We are so proud continue their legacy in these restaurants serving the San Diego community with great Mexican food.
