Santiago Iriarte, a co-owner and grandson of El Moro’s founder, says Los Angeles seemed like an ideal next location for his family’s company. “Before we opened in Costa Mesa, I had never been to LA or Orange County,” he says. “In LA, it’s the closest to Mexico that will ever be.”

Founded in Mexico City in 1935 by the Iriarte family, El Moro will dramatically transform a key corner in Echo Park. Set on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Laveta Terrace, the churreria will sport a clean, modern look with a creamy white exterior, its signature blue neon signage, colorful artwork, outdoor dining, and thankfully, an attached parking lot. The company hired notable international designer Nacho Cadena, founder of Cadena Concept Design, to design the Echo Park location. Any remnants of the over 65-year-old building that used to house Patra Burgers are gone, a not-so-subtle reminder of Echo Park’s considerable transformation over the decades.

Iriarte shares that the overwhelming and positive response to his Costa Mesa location gave him and his team the fuel to push for another outlet. “After that first step in Mercado Gonzalez, we were confident that our brand and experience could be shared by a lot of people in Echo Park as well,” he says.

El Moro Echo Park will operate from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., and possibly until 1 or 2 a.m. on weekends, serving churros with seven types of chocolate for dipping or drinking, as well as the classic champurrado, café de olla, and horchata lattes. Alongside the classic churros, El Moro will also serve an ice cream churro sandwich, al pastor tortas, mole, and more.

Iriarte has big dreams for El Moro and the expansion of Mexican culture; El Moro Echo Park will be the 19th location for the almost 100-year-old chain. “We’re very proud and excited to bring a little piece of a tradition from Mexico City to LA, other parts of the U.S., and hopefully, and then the world,” he says. “[El Moro] represents a part of Mexico’s traditions and culture. We see all these big companies bringing other brands from the U.S., and they’re always fighting for the next Domino’s or Panera. But why don’t we export Mexican brands, Mexican culture, and Mexican gastronomy?”

Starting in September, El Moro Echo Park will be located at 1524 W. Sunset Boulevard, Echo Park, CA, 90026.