Hollister–After feeding hungry locals for six years out of a taco truck on San Benito Street, popular El Gruellense has opened a permanent location in Hollister. The restaurant, located at 900 Fourth St., opened last Friday, featuring the usual selection of tacos, burritos and quesadillas.
The venture is the fourth location of the thriving business began by three brothers from a rural town in Jalisco, Mexico who came to the U.S. in the mid ’80s. Since then, Hugo, Leonardo and Hector Llamas, have opened two taquerias in Gilroy and one in Los Banos and plan on expanding the business in years to come.
The Llamas say the reason their tacos are so popular is they are simple, fresh and made “al estilo del pueblo” – authentic Mexican style that doesn’t rely on fancy fixings.
“A taco should be a tortilla filled with meat, chopped onion and cilantro,” said Hugo Llamas, 32, and a resident of Gilroy. “None of that veggie stuff.”
El Gruellense is named for El Grullo, a town “about the size of Hollister” three hours south of Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco. Sugar cane and corn dominate the economy, but jobs are few – so few that young boys, and increasingly girls, tend to leave when they turn 16.
The Llamas brothers were no exception and made their way north, settling in Los Angeles. They began working in a clothing factory, until Hugo moved to Stockton and then Redwood City to work at a restaurant. After seven years of working as a cook, Hugo and his brothers, who were still living in Los Angeles, decided to use their expertise in the industry to open their own restaurant in 1997.
They began by selling from a taco truck in Gilroy. But the city fined them for not having a permit to operate a moving vehicle that sold food, so the brothers decided to try the bus in nearby Hollister, where they have been since 1998.
“When we got here, there were other taquerias, but they were only open 10am to 8pm,” recalls Hugo.
The Llamas decided they could carve a niche by staying open longer hours, a crowd pleaser that keeps people lingering outside until well into the night.
Currently, the brothers own four restaurants, but the rest of the family, including mom and dad and four more brothers, help out as well. They plan on expanding their operations with time, but want to keep El Gruellense in family hands. For now, they are focusing on expanding their clientele and considering expanding menu options to include platters and sea food choices.
Hugo Llama says the secret to the company’s success is that people recognize their food and can see it as it is prepared.
“I don’t like it when kitchens are in the back,” said Hugo. “I like for the customer to see the way a tortilla warms up, the meat being scooped in and the onion spread out. It connects them more to the food.”
Their hard work has paid off. On any given day and just about any hour, a crowd is usually gathered outside the taco bus, which will continue operating despite the restaurant opening. And, the newly-opened restaurant seems a crowd pleaser, even this early on in the game.
“This is authentic Mexican food, the kind you eat at home,” said Daniel Ortiz, an 18-year-old who was lunching at El Gruellense recently. “And it’s nice to finally have a place to sit and not have to wait in the cold.”
Karina Loffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected]
