X’Tiosu Kitchen, a critically acclaimed, Indigenous-owned restaurant showcasing a distinctive blend of Middle Eastern and Oaxacan cooking, is in danger of shutting down. Owners Ignacio and Felipe Santiago, as well as members of the surrounding Boyle Heights community, are now fighting to keep this gem from disappearing.
From a window set in a cozy corner eatery off of Forest Avenue, X’Tiosu provides customers with a cultural blend of cuisine that honors and celebrates the rich culinary culture and heritage of Oaxaca and a focus on fresh ingredients. Its food provides L.A. diners with an authentic taste of Oaxacan cuisine that also uniquely incorporates Middle Eastern twists, offering eaters a cultural infusion that sets their kitchen apart from the city’s other Oaxacan restaurants.
“We have struggled a lot,” explains Ignacio, who has sustained a culinary vision here with Felipe for the past seven years. The brothers intend and hope to “seguir adelante” (keep pushing forward), but hindrances related to inflation, rising rent, and a limited knowledge of digital marketing techniques have forced these business owners to increase their food prices.
“We do not have a marketing team,” explains Ignacio, and first time business owners. As technology snowballs rapidly, the pair are still unsure about how to use certain forms, like social media, to help invigorate their bottom line.