Free App. Live Deals Under $5.

The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor patio dining

A layer of melted shredded cheddar cheese cascades over the white mountainous flour tortilla, with crispy and tender portions of carne de puerco en chile rojo (pork slow braised in a tomato based sauce with guajillo chiles, garlic, spices, and chiles de árbol), floating like islands on top, alluding to the mix of succulent deliciousness that lies within.

It is these memories that are cemented in the collective consciousness of Boyle Heights residents and Angelenos at large. Manny’s El Tepeyac Café is to Los Angeles what Katz Deli is to Manhattan or Ben’s Chili Bowl is to D.C. Featured on such shows as Man VS. Food on The Food Network, It is as much a cultural institution as it is a landmark on the food pilgrimage in this.

The kitchen has two small windows on opposite sides serving both the patio diners and those guests in the dining room

Located at 812 N Evergreen Terrace, Manuel’s Original El Tepeyac Café was founded in 1942 as “El Tupinamba Cafè” by the Rojas Family. First located in Downtown Los Angeles, then moved to Lincoln Heights as La Villa Cafè, the family run business has built a legacy, serving generations of hungry customers in Boyle Heights.

Though the menu might seem a bit pricy for Mexican fare (between 9 and twenty dollars for a burrito), the portions are family style and large enough to share between a few hungry eaters—one “Manny’s Special” can feed four people. The offerings include such Mexican standards as chilaquiles (crispy fried tortilla chips covered in spicy red or green sauce, a fondue of melted cheese, and a buttery fried egg), tacos, and tortas (Mexican style sub sandwiches filled with a variety of meats), but the café has drawn its fame from its burritos that set the standard. The “Okie”, “The Hollenbeck”, and the “Manny’s Special” form the triumvirate that have solidified Manny’s El Tepeyac Cafè in the hearts of so many.

Horchata, originally a drink from Valencia, Spain (orxata) made from Tigernuts, has found its way to Latin America. The drink, made from soaked rice in Mexico, includes variations made from morro seeds (El Salvador), jicaro seeds (Nicaragua and Honduras), and sesame seeds (Puerto Rico).

Choose between carne asada (marinated, grilled, and chopped skirt steak), machaca (shredded beef with peppers and scrambled egg), or the carne de Puerco en chile rojo, to fill your burrito, along with the Mexican style red rice (rice cooked in chicken broth with tomato sauce and onion), pinto beans, and layer of creamy guacamole (pureed avocado with onion, cilantro, and lime) and wash it down with Horchata (a rice based drink that kind of tastes like Captain Crunch milk and is the perfect cool down to spicy Mexican Food) or Jamaica (a Mexican drink made from boiled hibiscus flowers), and you’re good to go.

“Manny’s El Tepeyac” is definitely an experience made better by company, so take your friends and family, and have the special!

For current deals at “Manny’s El Tepeyac Cafè, check out KokoChè on Android or iPhone http://www.kokoche.com

Follow this business on Facebook and Twitter @manuelstepeyac

¡Buen Provecho!

Chano’s Tacos may be small, but it is not easily missed while driving through Lincoln Heights. Located just past the USC Medical Center and the 5 freeway, Chano’s bright yellow exterior and red umbrellas cannot be overlooked. With plenty of outdoor seating and surrounded by palm trees, Chano’s is about as LA as you can get. Although it is on a busy street, once you sit down at Chano’s you don’t notice the cars driving past, especially after you try the food.

When we paid a visit to Chano’s last weekend, we had a hard time deciding what to get. The menu offers many options, from breakfast, to hamburgers, to every taco imaginable. We settled on two types of tacos, a hamburger, nachos, and horchatas. We started off with our nachos. Although some may argue that nachos are not authentic Mexican food, they are undeniably delicious. Chano’s did not disappoint. The nachos came topped with guacamole, cheese, tomatoes, onions, beans, cilantro, and our choice of carne asada. We added salsa verde for good measure. They were a perfect mixture of textures and flavors, and would make a great late-night snack.

The hamburger was equally as good. It hit the spot. But where Chano’s really shines is in their tacos. We had carne asada and al pastor. The al pastor taco was some of the best we have ever tried. It came with the traditional onion and cilantro, and interestingly guacamole as well. We may have questioned this addition at first, but after trying the al pastor taco we realized it was a work of genius. The creamy and rich avocado pairs perfectly with the rich, juicy, and salty al pastor.

Chano’s Tacos: (323) 276- 7981

3309 North Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Photos courtesy of Oliver Blanco.

Dear Community,

Over the past week, the City of Los Angeles has energized the KokoChé team with spectacular weather, a festive Fourth of July spirit, and a featured article by the Mayor´s Office: http://lamayorsoffice.tumblr.com/post/26013281586/innovatela-kokoche

This week, a lot is happening behind the scenes…

First, we launched a new Facebook page and were thrilled to see friends from LA and beyond give us a shout-out. Check us out here, and don’t be shy to make a comment: facebook.com/KokoChe321

This could not be a more exciting time for us at KokoChé. Just this afternoon, I sat down with our development team to review the specs for some very cool features that we will shortly be adding to the mobile app. Over the next few weeks, we will be polling app users on the KokoChé experience, signing on more merchants, and deepening our presence in East LA, our launch community.

If you are interested in joining us to provide an ecosystem for local flash commerce in cash communities, please email media@kokoche.com.  We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Munir

CEO

KokoChé has a brand new page on Facebook. Check us out at http://www.facebook.com/KokoChe321

Here is our CEO Munir Jawed pitching KokoChé at Start Engine’s Demo Day. Jawed explains that KokoChé’s mission is to help cash-based communities prosper through local-flash commerce. The majority of these consumers have smart phones, but no access to online deals. KokoChé sees this gap as an opportunity. Our solution: a frictionless mobile and web app that allows consumers to connect to the merchants around them.

KokoChé was recently interviewed by the LA Mayor’s Office on behalf of the newly launched Council on Inovation and Industry. The LAMCII focuses on supporting and publicizing  LA-based businesses to foster the city’s growth and promote LA as a center of innovation. The council is composed of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and twenty five Angelino entrepreneurs, business leaders, and venture capitalists.

LA Mayor’s Office: Why did you choose to start your business in LA?

Because we can party like its 1848; it´s the Gold Rush all over again.  Los Angeles is an emerging metropolis with so much untapped potential, especially in underrepresented neighborhoods like East LA, where KokoChé recently launched its beta. KokoChé is a particularly good fit for LA because of our Latino-focused brand and mission to strengthen local commerce in cash-based neighborhoods, which make up nearly half of the city´s population.  Also, with its leopard-spot mix of different communities, LA is the ideal city for KokoChé to conduct “ controlled environment” experiments.

LA Mayor’s Office: What do you love about doing business in LA as a member of the tech community?

Being in LA, KokoChé has access to top-caliber technical and business talent, which can help us achieve “first-mover advantage” in addressing the pains of the young, Smartphone-savvy cash world.  We, among the other startups here, are helping LA to reinvent itself in the great American tradition.  There are now over ten reputable incubators in LA and growing (KokoChé is a proud denizen of StartEngine, co-chaired by Howard Marks).  In spite of the economic depression, there is so much growth here, so much excitement, and KokoChé is in the center of it all.

LA Mayor’s Office: What were some of the challenges you faced in starting a business?

Funding.  And funding.  It would be nice to see the local and state governments offer more grants, tax-breaks, and other incentives to scrappy entrepreneurs like ourselves.  They might already be doing that, which is even more tragic in some ways, because we don’t even know about it.  We need to have that information somehow channeled more directly to us, and in a way where we know how and when to take direct action to receive the benefits being offered.  Other challenges include finding the right business partners, hiring passionate individuals, and prioritizing goals to reach a succession of fluid outcomes.

LA Mayor’s Office: How would something like the Innovation & Industry Council have helped you get your start?

The Council would be able to create a healthy forum for KokoChé to access information and link with the local institutions we need to help us meet the needs of the untapped, Smartphone-savvy cash communities throughout the city.  The Council would be the ideal enabler for startups like KokoChé to engage collaboratively with other businesses and organizations to solve real pains in the city of LA.

Learn more at: http://lamcii.org/index.html and http://lamayorsoffice.tumblr.com/

Original feature: http://lamayorsoffice.tumblr.com/post/26013281586/innovatela-kokoche

Beautiful Santa Monica was the location for Demo Day.

The Start Engine Demo Day was inspiring to say the least. Not only did KokoChé give an amazing presentation, but more than 350 investors and mentors came ready to hear our, and the many other startups’, demonstrations. In only three minutes our CEO Munir Jawed gave a presentation of the KokoChé app. He covered everything from the app’s visuals, to the benefits KokoChé can provide to struggling local communities.

Interns with CEO Munir Jawed.

After the demos, we moved into pitching our app one-on-one with investors, mentors and the like. Our interns spread the word about KokoChé and got people interested. The KokoChé sunglasses, in our signature bright orange, were a big hit. Many attendees at the event could be seen wearing them. It was great being able to talk to the other startups and learn about their ideas and strategies.

Our intern Ian Sales pitching KokoChé.

Listening in on the other startups’ presentations was amazing. It was nothing short of inspiring to see the many original and innovative ideas thought up by young entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. We were very impressed by the diverse group startups Start Engine has chosen to accelerate. From online dating, to restaurant recommendations, to custom suits, it is clear that Start Engine is transforming Los Angeles into a top-tech city, one startup at a time.

CTO Oren Freiberg with interns.

Photos courtesy of Oliver Blanco.

Today people are becoming more connected than ever before; perhaps even pathologically connected to technology.  Increasing numbers of us feel the need to source our information not just from our immediate surroundings, but also from the spattering of daily emails, text messages, Facebook notifications, Reddit articles, and Twitter updates.  The list goes on.

There are so many data sifters out there, but we too often feel like we have to be connected to all of them!  As a result of this, our lives have become more stressful, which in turn has affected how we make decisions.

We attended a talk on the overcast morning of June 14^th at the City Club in the heart of Downtown LA.  Dan Ariely, a leading behavioral economist who is graciously helping KokoChé think through its growth strategy, led the discussion by informing us about the findings from his latest book.

One such finding was the effect of stress on decision-making.  To help illustrate the topic, Mr. Ariely described one of his experiments.  Half a group of people was asked to remember a seven-digit number, while the other half only a two-digit number.  Then both groups were to walk into a room where they could freely choose between an apple or a delicious piece of chocolate cake.  In order to claim the prize, the individual had to verbally recall the number.  As a result of being mentally “overwhelmed,” the participants who had to memorize the agonizingly long seven-digit number ended up choosing the chocolate cake nearly every time.  On the contrary, the group tasked with remembering the two-digit number (piece of cake!) chose the apple much more frequently.  The conclusion: when we are mentally stressed our decision-making becomes more impulsive.

Helping to eliminate that potentially harmful impulsiveness is how we think KokoChé can significantly help communities become smarter and more aware.  With KokoChé, you open the mobile app, select your impulse (“I’m hungry,” “I’m thirsty,” etc.) and then KokoChé brings up deals in your area that match the impulse.  No longer do we want your thought process to be: “I’m hungry, so let me get two McChickens and an order of large fries, because McDonald’s is across the street.”  It ought to be more like: “I´m hungry, now look…there are all these instantaneous flash deals for great food options in the area.  Looks like there’s a chicken salad deal a block away that is only available until 2PM.  It’s 50% off too!”  KokoChé gives us the chance to take a step back and decide what would be best for us based on our immediate locations, our wallet, and our health.

All in all, KokoChé strives to help people make smarter decisions on the go.  We are not suggesting that KokoChé is the whole answer.  It is a step.  But several steps in the right direction will lead to significant improvements in our individual and collective sense of well-being.

-Munir Jawed and Ian Sales

KokoChé made a presentation on Wednesday night at Startengine´s Mentor Dinner.  We rocked it with KokoChé branding.  Thanks to Oliver Blanco, Edgar Retana, and Ian Sales for participating.

Here is a quick interview we conducted with Sr. Juan Santoyo. Over lunch, the owner of Tamales Lilianas let us know what it is like to run a restaurant in East L.A., as well as his favorite dish.

Q: Why did you start this business and open up Tamales Lilianas?

Santoyo: In America there is money and possibility, so I started the business and pursued it.

Q: When did you start?

Santoyo: I had a small business that opened twenty one years ago. I started selling in the street, and then I started here where I have been working for the past six years.

Q: What is one phrase to describe being a business owner in East L.A.?

Santoyo: We could all do what we want to do if we put the will into it, and it would get done. Every brain is a world.

Q: Favorite dish?

Santoyo: Pozole.

Gracias Oliver Blanco for translating.