Las Cuatro Milpas, a Barrio Logan icon that has served Mexican food for nearly a century, has been sold for $2.21 million and will likely close its doors sometime next month.
The sale, first reported by SanDiegoVille, was recorded by the county on Friday and comes four months after it was first announced that the family who has long owned and run the restaurant had formally listed the property, as well as an adjoining parcel it owns. The original listing price was $1,995,000, which covered two commercial buildings, eight upstairs residential units that are currently unoccupied, three garages and parking.
“It was very competitive,” real estate broker Voltaire Lepe said of the listing. “A lot of people wanted the property, both developers, owner/users, and investors, so there were lots of offers and we were able to negotiate the price up, which was fantastic for the sellers.”
Purchasing the two properties is Iglesia del Dios Vivo Columna, Inc., which is identified in county records as the owner of the Light of the World Church and the property on which it sits, which are next door to Las Cuatro Milpas. Over the years, there were rumors that the church had been interested in acquiring the property but the ownership had not publicly discussed its interest. Emails and phone calls seeking comment from individuals associated with the church owner were not answered on Tuesday.
The owner of The Light of The World church on Logan Avenue purchased Las Cuatro Milpas, according to county records. (Lori Weisberg/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
While there is not a firm date for when the Logan Avenue will cease operating, co-owner Margarita Hernandez said Tuesday morning that it will most likely close sometime in December, hopefully after the holidays. But the new owner does not want the restaurant, she said. Asked if Las Cuatro Milpas might reopen elsewhere, Hernandez said she did not know.
“I would rather be working, but the government makes it hard to run a business,” she said as she rang up customers’ food orders.
Long before the restaurant was put up for sale, the ownership faced significant tax debt. However, family members never acknowledged that the decision to list the property was driven by financial distress. As of July, it owed $60,000 in county property taxes and $130,000 in other tax liens, including $103,000 in unpaid sales tax owed to the state of California for the past several years.
It’s unclear whether those tax debts have been paid off as part of the sale, as government offices were closed Tuesday for Veterans Day and officials were unavailable to answer questions.
The transfer of ownership marks the end of an era for the familiar Mexican eatery that draws lines out the door most every day it is open. It has served the community since 1933 when Petra and Natividad Estudillo opened Las Cuatro Milpas, known for its rolled tacos, burritos, tamales, and handmade flour tortillas. Two older sisters continue to run the eatery, but they’re ready now to retire, Lepe said.
A few people in line Tuesday morning were asking Hernandez for more information on when the restaurant might stop serving meals, but she shook her head saying she could not answer.