The Los Angeles City Council Friday is expected to save a long-time beloved attraction, known as “El Burro,” located at El Pueblo, after its owners ran into issues with the leasing contract.
Council members will consider backing a motion introduced by Councilman Kevin de León that, if approved, would request the Board of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority Commissioners to immediately consider the leasing agreement with puesto P-04, operated by La Cerreta at Placita Olvera. The goal is to add the owners, Richard Hernandez Chase and Patricia Josefina Hernandez, onto the lease.
La Carreta was founded in the late 1960s by Jesus “Don Chuy” Hernandez and his wife Maria Trancito Hernandez. Visitors to La Carreta could get photos with the family’s pet donkey, Cirila. The burro was later replaced by a “Jorge,” a life-sized stuffed burro.
The stuffed burro is known by many residents of the city, and has attracted visitors to El Pueblo.
In 2019, Maria Hernandez submitted paperwork to the city requesting to have her children, Patricia and Richard Hernandez, to the contract. Richard Hernandez told LA Taco in May that after his mother died they got the unexpected news that they were to be evicted due to a contract issue.
“The pueblo claims there’s a clerical error with our business contract; however, my family owns another business here and we drafted paperwork for both back in 2019 to change ownership and add our other family members,” Eugenia Nicole Macias, a member of the Hernandez family, told LA Taco.
There were problems with updating La Carreta’s contract, and it never happened. Members of the Hernandez family have shown up to El Pueblo’s board meetings but nothing has come out of those discussions.
Richard Hernandez had said he would get in contact with de León, who represents the 14th District, which includes El Pueblo. The councilman had said he would take action and ask the board to reconsider the lease contract.
“It’s been part of the fabric of this neighborhood,” de León said in May. “To me it’s odd that they want to evict them. I think it’s in poor taste.”
El Pueblo, commonly referred to as Olvera Street, was founded in 1781. The complex is made up of 27 historic buildings, seven museums and home to about 75 merchants, who sell various traditional and cultural wares.