Armando De La Torre Jr.
Guisados | Los Angeles
June 2017
Although he worked in restaurants as a teenager and grew up with a father who cooked family meals, Armando De La Torre Jr., was never set on a career in the hospitality industry.
Th e East Los Angeles native, returned home after college to work for his grandparent’s real estate development company. During this time, De La Torre and his father, Armando Sr., stumbled upon a shuttered tamale restaurant at one of the family properties in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of L.A. In a bold career move for the both of them, the duo decided to take it over and go into business together—with Armando Sr. focusing on food and Jr. on operations. With the help of a partner, they opened Guisados in December of 2010, serving traditional homestyle braises on fresh, handmade tortillas.
As co-owner, De La Torre is putting his business law degree to good use, handling day-to-day operations, including marketing, branding, design, and PR—not to mention running around greater L.A. to check in on his 100 employees who serve thousands of Angelenos each day. Over the past six years (and before De La Torre turned 30), Guisados has expanded its locations to include Echo Park, Downtown L.A., West Hollywood, and Burbank. With an emphasis on consistency, quality, and community, Guisados’ homey tacos have become a Los Angeles staple.
