[Update: Gracias Señor owner Rudy Barrientos announced on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 11, 2024 that Ralphs had been unsuccessful in obtaining a restraining order against him in court that day].
Watching as his taco truck was encircled by armed men this past November, Rudy Barrientos got that old feeling that someone didn’t want him and his food in the Pacific Palisades anymore.
It was the biggest escalation yet for the owner and lead taquero at Gracias Señor, a rare and popular taquería on wheels serving the cliffbound westside neighborhood.
He knew he would likely be pushed to move locations again, citing escalating pressure from Ralphs supermarket, where he has parked his business for over 10 years.
Last January, L.A. TACO reported on Barrientos’s plight after he was served a cease-and-desist order from a lawyer who was said to be representing Ralphs. This order claimed that Rudy had been encouraging his customers to park in Ralphs parking lot simply by choosing a location on the street that was adjacent to its store.