Fire Relief Fund for 10 Los Gringos Locos Staff

What would you take with 2 minutes to evacuate?

At about 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8, the loud and piercing tone and emergency message came across their cell phones: IMMEDIATE AND MANDATORY EVACUATION REQUIRED. They had minutes to grab whatever they could fit in their vehicles and leave. The wind and firestorm was descending on their neighborhood and were in immediate danger. They gathered what they could and fled for their lives.

For 5 Los Gringos Locos Team Members, TOTAL destruction and TOTAL loss would follow.

Those five have lost everything they owned to that firestorm and are currently living where they can – at friends' homes, at family members' homes. Their families and lives have been turned upside down with all of their belongings, family treasures, vehicles, and personal documents destroyed. The path forward is uncertain, and the rebuilding will take years. This loss will be felt for the rest of their lives.

Five more Team Members have been evacuated with an uncertain date of return. They are living with friends and family as they wait to see the potential damage and try to reintegrate into their devastated community. This will take weeks.

This fire has decimated an entire community and directly disrupted 10 members of our staff.

100% of these donations will be directed in a way that helps get their lives back, provide for immediate needs, and assist them in getting started on the long road of rebuilding. They need help paying bills, purchasing clothing, personal items, shoes, school books, toys for children – EVERYTHING.

As a local, family-owned restaurant, we've seen first-hand how impactful and loyal our community is. From helping us physically move restaurant locations to surviving the pandemic, our community knows how to rally. And now we are hoping to do it again to support 10 of our employees - several of whom lost everything in the Los Angeles fires.

Every donation, no matter the size, is a spark of hope for our Los Gringos Locos family.

These 10 incredible Team Members have been at the heart of our restaurant, creating the vibrant, welcoming space we all love. Now, THEY NEED US to come together and show them the same warmth and support they've always shared with you. Your generosity will help them rebuild, piece by piece, as they take the first steps toward brighter days. Let’s rally around them and show what our community can achieve when we stand together.

Who this has affected and years of service at Gringos:

Omar (bartender) 19 years – lost everything

Nancy (server) 2 years – lost everything

Manny (dish) – 14 years – lost everything

Gianna (hostess) – 6 months – lost everything

Genaro (cook) – 11 years – lost his home

Luis (busser) 5 months – evacuated with no known date of return

Mario (dish) 1 month – evacuated with no known date of return

Jessica (hostess) 2 years – evacuated with no known date of return

Javier (cook) 9 months – evacuated with no known date of return

Samantha (server) 14 years – evacuated with no known date of return