Guelaguetza

What Guelaguetza does

Guelaguetza is a family-owned Oaxacan restaurant founded in 1994 by Oaxacan immigrants Fernando Lopez and Maria Monterrubio in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles at 3014 W. Olympic Blvd. The restaurant specializes in authentic regional Oaxacan cuisine, with a menu centered on traditional moles (mole negro, coloradito, chichilo), tlayudas, empanadas, chalupas, and Oaxacan specialties such as quesillo (string-pull cheese) prepared using techniques including wood-fire cooking over live charcoal. The kitchen operation is anchored by family recipes passed down across generations, and the restaurant has earned the James Beard Award for American Classics (2015), the L.A. Times Gold Award (2021), and Michelin Selected status (2025).

The business has diversified its revenue across several channels while preserving a single physical footprint. Core dine-in service runs Tuesday through Sunday in a dining room and patio, supplemented by takeout and delivery through Toast Tab, nationwide shipping of signature items via GoldBelly, direct e-commerce through a Shopify-powered store at store.ilovemole.com (selling mole sauces, Michelada mix, merchandise, and a cookbook), and full-service catering for private and corporate events managed through Tripleseat. Ticketed programming — guest chef dinners, mezcal tastings, and cultural celebrations such as Día de Muertos — supplements restaurant revenue and reinforces the brand's role as a cultural ambassador for Oaxacan cuisine in Los Angeles.

Commercially, Guelaguetza operates a straightforward retail and hospitality revenue model: per-cover dine-in sales, per-order takeout/delivery transactions, per-unit retail pricing on shipped products (e.g., $75 mezcal taster box, $12+ mezcal cocktails, gift cards in variable amounts), and quote-based catering fees. Customer segments span local LA diners, cultural community members, food enthusiasts, corporate event hosts, and remote product buyers across the continental United States. The founders retired and passed operations to their four children (Paulina, Fernando Jr, Elizabeth, and Bricia Lopez), with co-owner Bricia Lopez driving external initiatives including the published cookbook 'Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico' and co-founding the RE:Her nonprofit supporting women-owned restaurants. The company remains privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Guelaguetza

Legal name

Guelaguetza

Website

https://ilovemole.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Guelaguetza is a family-owned Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles, founded in 1994 and now operated by the second generation. The James Beard Award winner offers dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering, and ships signature mole sauces and Michelada mix nationwide via GoldBelly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oaxacan Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)

Keywords

• Oaxacan restaurant
• Mexican cuisine
• Catering services
• Mole sauces
• Online food retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Indoor dining room and patio seating with full Oaxacan menu including moles, tlayudas, empanadas, and traditional beverages. Revenue generated from food and beverage sales during operating hours (Tuesday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Sunday 9am-10pm).
2. Takeout and Delivery: Online ordering through Toast Tab platform for takeout and delivery orders, providing incremental revenue beyond dine-in capacity.
3. Online Retail Store: E-commerce store (store.ilovemole.com) selling signature products including mole sauces, Michelada mix, gift cards, cookbook, and merchandise. Ships to most of the continental US.
4. GoldBelly Nationwide Shipping: Partnership with GoldBelly to ship favorite menu items nationwide, expanding customer reach beyond the Los Angeles area.
5. Catering Services: Full-service catering for private events, corporate functions, and weddings, bringing Oaxacan cuisine to off-site locations.
6. Events and Special Dinners: Hosting special events including guest chef dinners, cultural celebrations, mezcal tastings, and community fundraisers with ticket-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Guelaguetza is a family-operated Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles that serves traditional dishes including moles, tlayudas, chalupas, and regional Mexican cuisine. The business also operates an e-commerce store selling signature mole sauces and Michelada mix, offers full-service catering for private and corporate events, and hosts ticketed special events such as guest chef dinners and mezcal tastings.

Product overview

Guelaguetza operates as a unified restaurant brand with multiple product lines. The core offering is the sit-down Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles, which has been serving traditional cuisine since 1994. This is complemented by a catering service for private events and an e-commerce operation selling packaged moles, Michelada mix, and specialty products through their online store. The brand also extends into retail products including gift cards (both restaurant and online store variants) and a published cookbook authored by co-owner Bricia Lopez. The restaurant was awarded the James Beard Award for American Classics and is recognized as one of the top Oaxacan restaurants in the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guelaguetza Restaurant Dine-In Full-service Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles offering indoor dining room and patio seating with a menu of moles, tlayudas, chalupas, empanadas, and traditional Oaxacan beverages. Open Tuesday through Sunday for individual diners, families, and walk-in customers.
• Catering Services Off-site full-service catering for private events, corporate functions, and weddings, delivering Guelaguetza's authentic Oaxacan cuisine to customer-chosen venues. Quote-based pricing requiring inquiry through Tripleseat or [email protected].
• Online Store (Mole and Specialty Products) E-commerce store (store.ilovemole.com) selling Guelaguetza's signature mole sauces, Michelada mix, gift cards, cookbook, and merchandise with shipping to most of the continental United States.
• GoldBelly Nationwide Shipping National shipping partnership via GoldBelly marketplace that delivers Guelaguetza's signature menu items and packaged products to customers anywhere in the United States.
• Special Events and Tasting Dinners Ticketed hosted events including guest chef dinners, mezcal tastings, cultural celebrations (e.g., Día De Muertos), benefit dinners, and community fundraisers at Guelaguetza's Los Angeles location.
• Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico Cookbook Published cookbook by co-owner Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral featuring 140 authentic Oaxacan recipes, available through major retailers and signed copies through the online store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in Los Angeles Times, Jonathan Gold's 101 Essential Restaurants, The New York Times, GQ Magazine, Esquire, Los Angeles Magazine, Oprah Magazine, The New Yorker, Travel and Leisure, Sunset Magazine
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regarding Her (RE:Her)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Nonprofit organization co-founded by Bricia Lopez dedicated to accelerating growth of women-owned food and beverage businesses. Has distributed over $350,000 in grants and built a membership community of 1,000+ women across Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
• Guest Chef Alan Sanchez (Gracias Madre)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Executive Chef at Gracias Madre hosted a Día De Muertos dinner event featuring Oaxacan-inspired plant-based cuisine.
• Isla UrbanaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Nonprofit organization for clean water projects in Mexico. Guelaguetza hosted Agua Vida LA event benefiting Isla Urbana with appetizers, drinks, silent auction, and mezcal tastings.
• Guest Chef Rodolfo CastellanosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Mexico Top Chef winner from Origen Restaurant in Oaxaca collaborated for a one-night residency at Guelaguetza.
• La PiztolaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Oaxacan art collective partnership for El Mezcalero mural exhibit, recreating a boycotted mural from Oaxaca in Guelaguetza's mezcaleria.
• GoldBellycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational e-commerce partnership enabling nationwide shipping of Guelaguetza's signature menu items and products. Allows customers outside of Los Angeles to purchase and experience authentic Oaxacan cuisine.
• Guerrilla TacosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFemale-owned Los Angeles restaurant collaboration for the GuerrillaGuetza tlayuda during RE:Her 10-day festival. Joint promotional event showcasing both restaurants' culinary offerings.
• All Day BabyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFemale-owned Los Angeles breakfast restaurant collaboration for All Day Baby tlayuda during RE:Her festival.
• Friends and FamilyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFemale-owned bakery collaboration for baked chorizo and potato empanadas during RE:Her festival.
• Todo VerdeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFemale-owned plant-based restaurant collaboration for vegan ceviche during RE:Her festival.
• Yola MezcalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFemale-founded mezcal brand featured during RE:Her festival. Founded and run by women following a recipe passed down by founder Yola Jimenez's grandfather from 1971.
• Mezcal CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization representing the mezcal category in the US and globally, dedicated to education and responsible category growth. Guelaguetza hosted mezcal talk event benefiting the collaborative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Casa Vega: Iconic family-owned Los Angeles Mexican restaurant operating since 1956 with a similar multi-generational family ownership structure and cult LA following.
• Gracias Madre: Los Angeles plant-based Mexican restaurant with a similar authentic regional-Mexican positioning, multiple revenue streams including catering and retail products, and a comparable chef-driven, mission-led profile.
• Mírate: Los Angeles modern Mexican restaurant by chef Carlos Salgado with a similar focus on regional Mexican cooking, restaurant-plus-bar format, and elevated independent-operator profile.
• Cosme: New York City Mexican fine-dining restaurant by Enrique Olvera; comparable as a chef-driven, nationally-recognized Mexican destination restaurant with strong press profile and elevated pricing.
• Carnitas El Momo: Los Angeles Mexican street-food specialist with a similarly small-footprint, authenticity-driven, cult-following model among regional Mexican food enthusiasts in the LA market.

Broad incumbents

• Sqirl: Los Angeles restaurant with comparable James Beard recognition, cult LA following, packaged retail product line, and independent-operator profile — overlapping in positioning rather than cuisine.
• République: Los Angeles French-Californian fine-dining restaurant with comparable James Beard-level award profile, similar press footprint, and similar independent-operator positioning in the LA culinary scene.

Regional players

• La Taqueria: San Francisco Mission-style taqueria institution with comparable cult following and authentic Mexican positioning, but serving the Bay Area market rather than directly competing with Guelaguetza.
• Los Tacos No. 1: New York City Tijuana-style taqueria chain with multiple locations and national press recognition, comparable as an authentic regional Mexican concept but operating in the East Coast market.

Emerging players

• Birrieria Zaragoza: Chicago-based specialty Mexican birrieria with comparable authentic-regional-Mexican positioning and cult following, but focused on a single dish and not directly competitive in the LA market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LaGuelaguetza
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheGuelaguetza
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ilovemole

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guelaguetza