With Monday’s grand opening of El Sushi Loco in Pomona, owner Frank Mendoza has added yet another chapter to his impressive story. It’s a “once-upon-a-time” tale worth listening to, as he speaks of the day, just eight years ago, when he bought a food cart listed on Craigslist–Tijuana for $1,200 to start selling his hybrid “Mexican-sushi” idea. The cart was labeled Sushi Island, and in no time it had crossed the border into the Californian streets.
Mendoza, his wife, and his nephew worked tirelessly to serve their high quality, delicious tasting product. Soon, Sushi Island was a hit, encouraging the hopeful trio and inspiring a new name – El Sushi Loco. Before long, they were able to open their first permanent location in La Puente, followed by a second one in Downey, and now a third one, in Pomona.
Today, Mendoza is a thankful and deeply spiritual man. The grand opening in Pomona was a festive celebration that included a ribbon cutting but that first took a moment to thank the God to whom Mendoza attributes his success. You wouldn’t know it by looking at him, but Mendoza has a past, and those experiences inform his current decisions.
According to him, El Sushi Loco strives to serve delicious quality food so that families can gather around it to enjoy each other’s company. It wants to be helpful to the community and to offer a helping hand to those who need it most. For that reason, the grand opening event was also a toy drive to benefit Angel Tree, a prison fellowship program that, through Christian faith, supports families affected by crime and incarceration.
Check out El Sushi Loco – Pomona for yourself, from 10 am to 9 pm daily. It is located at 1542 W. Holt, Pomona CA 91768. More information here.
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