Restaurants in L.A. tend to come and go, but neither El Cholo, nor its familia grande, are likely to bid adios anytime soon.
Steeped in five generations of tradition, the Mexican eatery is the godfather of a five-restaurant chain that serves some 800,000 customers a year and which is wholly owned by the Salisbury family.
Ron Salisbury, 65, who took control of the restaurant in 1967, is president of the parent company, Restaurant Business Inc. Two of his sons, Blair and Creed, manage operations and creative development.
“We never fight. We’ve had disagreements, but we’ve never stormed out of a meeting or never reached a mutually satisfying decision,” said Blair Salisbury, 39, whose 15-year-old nephew also works at the original El Cholo.
“Our father never forced this down our throat. There was no pressure, so it was more natural for us to explore the business,” said Blair, who began as a busboy 30 years ago (for a salary of three cents a table). “We’ve cooked, hosted, waited tables, tended bar. We’ve done it all.”
Blair’s five other siblings have opted out of the family business. While all of the family members own stock in the company, Ron, Blair and Creed make virtually all business decisions.
El Cholo can be traced back to 1923, when great grandparents and Spanish immigrants Alejandro and Rosa Borquez started the Sonora Caf & #233; near the Coliseum in Exposition Park. Their daughter, Aurelia, married George Salisbury in 1926 and the newlyweds Ron’s parents opened the first El Cholo on Western Avenue. Four years later, the restaurant moved to its present location across the street.
The family expanded cautiously, ensuring good locations and a qualified staff. Their additions to the L.A. area include: The Cat & the Custard Cup in La Habra, an English restaurant; Caf & #233; El Cholo in La Habra; Sonora Caf & #233; on La Brea Avenue; and a second El Cholo in Santa Monica, which opened last year.
Salisbury projects that the five restaurants will bring in $15 million in sales this year.
“In any restaurant business, you need a strong management team to respond to changing times, and that’s what El Cholo has done,” said Steve Steinhauser, an analyst with Deloitte & Touche LLP. “They’re consistent, but they know how to tweak the concept to keep current. It’s a tough balance.”
Blair Salisbury recognizes the eatery’s place as an L.A. landmark.
“I never realized how famous El Cholo was until the 1992 riots and the phones were switched to my house,” he said. “I must have received over 300 calls asking if El Cholo was all right. The city was in chaos and people’s biggest concerns were about El Cholo.”
Nola L. Sarkisian
