A new gastronomic event is coming to Los Angeles that puts the richness and diversity of Latin American food on display, as the Latin Restaurant Association prepares to launch “Dine Latino Restaurant Week.”
Starting on Tuesday, May 12 and for two weeks, the Los Angeles community will be able to enjoy more than 200 Latin American restaurants that will meet on the same map, from Michelin-starred kitchens to restaurants that, over the years, many have seen grow and go through economic changes.
“It has been one of the most difficult years for Latin restaurants in Los Angeles. All of the owners I work with have supported their non-public, their families and their entire neighborhoods. DINE Latino brings customers back to the kitchens that built this city and supports the restaurants that have always supported us,” said Lilly Rocha, executive director of the Latin Restaurant Association.
Right now, Latin restaurants are going through one of the most difficult periods in recent years. By 2025, 84.8% of Los Angeles restaurants suffered a serious decline in business, and restaurant business is largely driven by Latino (seventy-nine percent) and immigrant (66%) communities, who continue to demonstrate resilience, creativity, and leadership in the face of adversity.
A report from Los Angeles County, published in February, revealed that economic losses worth $3.7 million were recorded in just three months, between July and September 2025, following increased immigration raids in the city.
Additionally, the report indicates that 82% of businesses surveyed reported that immigration enforcement measures had negatively affected them, and that 44% had lost more than half of their revenue. On the other hand, 51% reported a decrease in the number of customers.
That is why DINE LATINO is a collective effort to encourage and support this community so full of life. And to encourage businesses that feed many throughout the city.
On Thursday morning at the Maydan Market in West Adams, the LRA hosted a press preview with seven chefs representing seven Latin American traditions.
The consuls general of Mexico, El Salvador and other Latin American countries joined the LRA leaders at the event. Among the participants was Lugyá’h, a grilled Zapotec cuisine, with roots in the highlands of Oaxaca, while Maléna would lend a hand to Afro-Mexican dishes from the Guerrero tradition.
“That Michelin has recognized Lugyá’h is something I would never have imagined,” said chef Alfonso Poncho Martínez, of Lugyá’h. “Being together with the other DINE Latino restaurants, all cooking for our communities, is what fills me with pride.”
Also among the group is Fuegos LA, which specializes in Argentine-style empanadas out of Exposition Park. The owners, Max and Federico Laboureau, emigrated to the United States 15 years ago to pursue the American dream. They worked behind the scenes in film and television, and when the industry changed, it forced them to rethink their trajectory and pivot, resulting in Fuegos LA: a sincere project born of resilience, culture and community.
Fuegos LA is a uniquely Latin-owned locale, rooted in the warmth of Argentinian hospitality. It’s the place where old friends and new faces gather to connect through food, laughter, music and meaning. They cook with love, welcome you with pride and invite you to stay a while, whether to celebrate, relax or simply feel at home.
“Los Angeles is in crisis: first the fires happened, then all the raids started, and that affected because we are Latino businesses with Latino workers and customers who have been living in fear,” said Federico of Fuegos LA. “This is the second year that we participate with Dine Latino and, the truth is, it does help us a lot to have visibility with them.”
Other businesses participating include Casa Chaskis, a Peruvian kitchen in West Long Sea streak. VCHOS Pupusería, which offers a modern version of Salvadoran classics; Amara Café & Restaurant, featuring Venezuelan cafe fare at Primitive Pasadena; and M Grill, which represents one of the oldest Brazilian steakhouses in Los Angeles.
The Latino Restaurant Association (LRA) is a national organization that supports Latino restaurateurs and small businesses through grants, business training, and marketing in English and Spanish. According to them, “Dine Latino Restaurant Week” aims to create a common platform for Latino chefs and restaurateurs, while encouraging diners to discover a wide variety of traditional, often underrepresented dishes.
“Dine Latino” Gastronomic Week is the LRA’s flagship program in Los Angeles. Restaurants that wish to participate and be included in the campaign can still register on the initiative’s website; The deadline to apply is May 10. And the event will take place from May 12 to 24.
Stumble on the full map business here.
