Part I Behind the Scene at Javier’s, The Past, Present, and Future
Javier’s brings a 30-year heritage of fine Mexican dining to the neighborhood with their sixth restaurant located on 12th Street between Figueroa and Flower in the Circa Apartment Complex.
I spoke with Omar Sosa, manager of this exciting new addition to the neighborhood’s dining experience during a “quiet time” in late afternoon last Friday. I was amazed at how busy the huge restaurant and bar were -- we had to go to a far corner to talk.
Javier’s was founded by Javier Sosa, Sr. in 1995. There are currently six Javier’s Restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Las Vegas as well as one restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico. This is a family business owned and operated by Javier Sosa, Sr., daughter Sophia Sosa, and son Javier Sosa, Jr. Everywhere there is an aura of quiet competence, professionalism, and attention to detail.
When asked how Javier’s selected South Park/The Social District as its newest location, Omar answered that they had their eye on the area before COVID but put plans on the back burner until the pandemic had run its course. The new location in the Circa complex happened to be exactly what they were looking for. They view South Park with its rapidly growing population of sophisticated urbanites and nearby soon-to-be-expanded Convention Center as a premium location for their type of restaurant.
He admitted the Oceanwide debacle next door is holding the area’s economic recovery back but expects great returns when the current problem is solved. In the meantime, they have been enjoying a land-office business from the thousands of conventioneers directly across the street. “And”, he added, “we have been welcoming many local South Park Residents to lunch and dinner. The turnout has been terrific!”
The restaurant facility is impressive, to say the least. I was taken on a tour of the operation’s huge, sparkling kitchen where two long lines, each seemingly a block long, of stainless-steel counters, prep areas, coolers, broilers, and cook tops provide the base of the operation. Omar explained that since opening night the kitchen has been preparing hundreds of meals for both lunch and dinner. Amazingly, the kitchen is capable of putting out 1,000 meals in an evening!
The vast restaurant will handle 459 diners a sitting. “Nothing sits in this kitchen very long,” Omar explained. “Our food preparation is divided up into two to three time periods during the day so that nothing sits waiting to be cooked. This way we can produce the freshest possible presentation to the customer.” The restaurant employs 180 to 190 people each day. (Please see the next Javier’s article below by Justin Orkin for his first-hand dining experience.)
I was impressed by the way the front and back operations of the business seemed to hum with the efficiency that comes with great management. Everyone from the front door to the dishwasher worked cheerfully and with a sense of purpose and a high degree of training unusual for a new restaurant operation. It was obvious that the dining customer was job one. Omar explained that management and key wait and kitchen staff are highly experienced and were moved to DTLA from other Javier locations so the “learning curve” did not come into play. The restaurant is running as if it has been open for years.
Javier’s is a wonderful experience that you should enjoy soon! We at SPNA welcome this great operation to South Park and look forward to partnering with them to further enhance and develop our great downtown neighborhood.
By John Nilsson