The owners of the now-shuttered Barrio Logan restaurant Salud are introducing their new restaurant and bar concept in Mission Gorge. NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada reports.
The owners of the now-shuttered Barrio Logan restaurant Salud are introducing their new restaurant and bar concept in Mission Gorge.
The location, formerly known as Tio Leo’s, now has a new name -- La Familia Restaurant.
From the portraits on the wall to the detail in the décor, and the flavors in the food, every experience is designed to welcome your family.
“These are my great-grandparents from both sides of the family,” Vinny Becerra said.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
“This was my great-great grandma's. It was in their bar room -- and this was the bar itself -- and we pretty much turned it into a vinyl DJ room with some awesome lighting, we got the cool mic on,” as he gave NBC 7 a tour of their newest space.
The restaurant owner said the closing of Salud last June over stalled lease agreement negotiations was a blessing in disguise. Becerra said he’s thrilled to serve the San Diego community once again.
“We have our chile relleno plate, exactly what it sounds like. The sauce is fantastic,” Becerra said.
Local
With the help of local non-profit Accessity, they were able to launch this new vision.
“Other local organizations within our network referred them to us in order to get the capital that they need for their business," Juliette Terramin with Accessity said. "They were able to get connected with us and access capital."
The San Diego-based company has been supporting small businesses all across Southern California by giving loans up to $150,000 to start-up and existing businesses.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy," Terramin said. "You know, really supporting small businesses at any time of the year, gives not only to that small business to that family that you’re supporting, but then it goes back to the community and hopes to strengthen the ecosystem of the small business community."
Although they’ve expanded their menu, Becerra said they are bringing back a taste of Salud to their menu.
“I’m super excited about this project. I’m super happy, and just yeah…ready to get the ball rolling and get comfortable in it,” Becerra said.
The non-profit that helped Becerra said their team works with business owners to learn more about their capital needs and provide them with the right resources.
