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<\/p>\nHusband and wife Mario Tornel and Martha Silva are no strangers to the American dream.<\/p>\n
They have lived it since 1992, the year they opened Cactus Taquer\u00eda on Vine Street, right below the apartment where they were raising their children, Marlo and Adrianne. But the Hollywood taquer\u00eda, which gained a loyal customer base for its no-frills tacos and burritos served late, was forced to shutter this week due to neighboring nonprofit and landlord Project Angel Food\u2019s plans to demolish the building and expand its operations.<\/p>\n
Cactus Taquer\u00eda no. 1 opened in its current 400-square-foot location in 1994, after the Northridge earthquake caused severe damage to its original outpost down the street. A cactus-shaped sign on the roof read \u201cbest tacos\u201d and glowed neon green after sundown, making the shop instantly recognizable.<\/p>\n
Tornel and Silva followed up with Cactus Taqueria no. 2 in Koreatown in 1998. They operated those two stores for more than a decade before expanding to locations in Studio City, Encino and Sherman Oaks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Owners and husband and wife Mario Tornel and Martha Silva sit in Cactus Taqueria no. 1, which was forced to close on July 12 after 34 years of operation.<\/p>\n
(Ronaldo Bola\u00f1os \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then the rest was history,\u201d said Marlo Tornel, who now runs the business with his parents.<\/p>\n
Marlo said he\u2019s been aware of a potential demolition ever since Project Angel Food purchased the property in 2023. <\/p>\n
The nonprofit provides free meals for people with critical and life-threatening illnesses. It is also the landlord for two other shops in the strip mall, El Rancho Supermarket and a water supply store. Like Cactus Taquer\u00eda, both businesses were forced to close permanently by July 12.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never really had intentions on closing, especially after we hit the 25-year mark,\u201d said Marlo. \u201cWe never thought that in the next nine, you know, that would have been it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mario emigrated from Tijuana more than 40 years ago, bringing his homegrown cooking skills across the border. It was in L.A. that he met Silva, an experienced cook who shared recipes passed down from her mother, who hailed from Chihuahua, Mexico. Silva\u2019s mother advised against eating lard, Marlo remembers, and opted for alternative oils in her household. Her preference inspired the taquer\u00eda\u2019s vegetarian menu that spans tortas, mulitas, burritos and cheese enchiladas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really, genuinely, use the recipes that were handed down from grandma,\u201d said Marlo. \u201cAnd then Mom tweaked them, and then I graduated culinary school, and then I tweaked them, and then my dad also has his flavor set, so he tweaks them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The flagship Vine Street restaurant holds the most meaning for the family. Marlo practically grew up there \u2014 back when his busy parents couldn\u2019t afford babysitters, he remembers sleeping in the car outside Cactus Taquer\u00eda until dawn, going straight to school and then coming back to the restaurant in the afternoon and doing his homework.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to have that beautiful upbringing,\u201d he said. \u201c[My parents] had to give up a lot of their time to make sure that their kids had something to fall back on.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Mario Tornel, left, and his son Marlo Tornel stand outside of Cactus Taqueria no. 1. Nonprofit Project Angel Food is expanding operations on the property and has forced the family, along with two other tenants, to permanently close their businesses.<\/p>\n
(Ronaldo Bola\u00f1os \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n